Darker Than Black: Generation New
by Sakabatou77
Summary: Twenty-nine years had past since the incident with Izanami. BK201 is dead, causing Heaven's Gate to reappear, and a new generation has taken over. Written to give you the feeling as though you are watching a DTB episode with a new unknown mystery.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

A New Generation of Contractors and Humans: Part One

Two Years after Izanami:

Hei kneeled before a man with dark hair who held a Japanese sword and wore a black jump suit. Hei breathed out heavily, impressed at the young man's athletic ability since he didn't show any signs of exhaustion.

Trees surrounded them with birds chirping in the distance, the wind blowing lightly, and the night sky and fake stars piercing through the leaves. The ground was murky from an early storm that had passed, which doused Hei's and the young man's clothes with mud.

Hei had been on the run, hiding in different countries or living on islands with little population. However, no matter where he went, somehow he was always hunted down.

He figured he would be safer here in Australia, but he was wrong.

Hei clenched his knife to get a better grip on his blade, took in one last deep breath, and charged at his opponent. The man in the jump suit followed in suit and met each other dead center to strike their weapons, as Hei exhausted all his energy.

They stood with their backs at each other, Hei breathing heavily again while the jump suit man stood perfectly still. Within seconds, Hei cringed in pain, snatched at his side and gazed down at it to see his shirt and hand covered in blood.

He struggled to stay on his feet, searching the deepest portion of his body for any strength, but he found none and fell forward to lay in the muck that was now his resting place.

The man in the jump suit looked back at Hei, and then up at the stars in time to see BK201's star fall. He looked back at Hei and smiled ear to ear. He whipped his sword to remove Hei's blood, sheathed it, and walked off into the woods.

Xxx

Late in the night at a secluded area hidden from the CIA, Kirihara Misaki, who was still going by the name Ichinose Yayoi, sat in a small cubical to catch up on paperwork, but she instead stared out the window to gaze up at BK201's star, wondering where he was. It had seemed like forever since the last time she had saw him with his Doll.

She wondered if he was still handsome, kept in shape, and was doing all right. Apparently something was up with him tonight since his star had been shining like a phone constantly ringing off the hook.

It had been on and off with BK201. He would go two to six months inactive, and then he would go all out. She breathed out a sign of relief when his star wasn't blinking hysterically and stayed glued to the sky.

However, tonight's story ended differently.

Misaki gasped as she watched BK201's star fall from the sky. She stood from her seat, ran over to the window, and looked up to see if she might have been seeing things.

To her displeasure, she wasn't. Where his star had shined the brightest was dark and empty. Misaki grabbed at her heart, feeling an emptiness fill inside it, as the man she had been chasing for four years was dead.

What was she going to do now that Li-kun was gone? To her, it felt as though her own life was at an end.

**Twenty-Seven Years Later:**

The fake stars sparkled above to shine some light down on the darkened Tokyo city. A few of the building's lights illuminated the sky with signs glittering to brighten up the streets.

In the Shibuya district, a nightclub's wall echoed from loud techno music banging against it. Outside was a line of girls dressed in skimpy outfits and guys waiting to grind against them and perhaps get lucky!

A Japanese man in a flashy red shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, and had on shiny black pants, walked up to the front of the line and showed a pass. The Japanese man, who had spiky hair and a crooked nose, was holding a black briefcase and chewing a piece of gum.

The bouncer waved him through.

The Japanese man entered the club to have it feel as though his eardrums were shattering. The room was dark with lights beaming back and forth over a crowded dance floor of jumping people. Some guys were pressed up against girl's back ends, as other guys held their beers and bounced slightly to keep up with the beat.

A D.J. booth stood next to the dance floor with a bar across from it. To the left of the bar were tables, booths, and a staircase that led up to the VIP rooms.

The Japanese man walked over to the stairs, showed the bouncer his pass to him, and headed up the staircase. Once he reached the second floor, he passed a couple making out in one VIP room, girls having a blast drinking shots in another, and a group action in a third room. He came up to a fourth VIP room to see a plump man with twin girls wearing cougar outfits on his sides sitting on a leather couch, and two guards standing behind them. The guard to the left was holding a silver case.

"A Yatutsu Reoka!" cheered the plump man. "Finally decided to show up! Have a seat."

The Japanese man named Yatutsu sat across from the plump man with a glass table separating them.

"You… you got the doe?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I have the cash. But before we get down to business, how about you have something to drink, and maybe to get to know my new friends here."

Reoka smiled, and then said, "I would love to, but I'm kind of in a rush."

"What's the hurry, mamma needs to put her boy to bed?"

The girls chuckled. Reoka looked at them, betting these broads were only hanging out with him for his money, and they were only laughing at his ignorant jokes in hopes of him coughing up some cash.

He looked back at the plump man, and replied, "No, I just don't like crowds."

"Really? You seemed to like playing dress up for crowds. How much did that shirt cost you?"

"Why does that matter?" Reoka shrugged. "Can't we just make the deal?"

"Sure, sure. If you want to."

The plump man raised his left arm and snapped his finger for his guard to come forward. The guard on the left did so, placed the silver case on the glass table, and opened it. Inside was a microchip the size of a fingernail.

Reoka did as well to show a blank card in it. The guard took the card, pulled out a rectangular device, and put the card on it, as if scanning it.

Within seconds, the guard put the card back in the case, and looked down at the plump man.

"The money's been transferred, Boss," he said.

"So we're done here," said Reoka, reaching to grab the microchip.

The guard slammed it shut before he could obtain it. Reoka looked at them baffled.

"Not so fast, Reoka," said the plump man. "Or should I say, Detective Yatutsu."

Reoka began to sweat, as his heart pounded heavily.

"Wha… what was that?" he questioned with a half chuckle. "Me, detective? Where'd you get that crap from?"

The plump man waved his right hand forward for his other guard to come forth. While doing so, he pulled out photos to throw on top of the glass table. On them were him talking to a girl with brown hair, brown eyes, wore a white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top and kaki black pants.

"Didn't think I'd have you followed?" said the plump man. "Cute girl there."

"Yeah, so, she's some girl giving me a B.J. So what?" challenged Reoka.

"Oh, really. You know, I had some of my nerdy men do some checking on her. They do a heck of a job. That's why they have a job. And you know what they found out about her? She's a cop."

"News to me." Reoka shrugged.

"Is it, or are you pulling my strings? Unbutton your shirt."

"Why?"

"I said, UNBUTTON IT!"

Reoka frowned, knowing this wasn't going to be good, and started to unbutton it to reveal a microphone taped to his shirt.

"How much you wanna bet your _girlfriend_ is listening to us? I bet she won't be happy when I have my men put a bullet in your head."

"No she won't," replied Reoka. "And it's Detective Kimara Ryo."

The plump man smiled, stood from the couch with his girlfriends, picked up the silver case, and motioned for his men to take out the trash. The plump man and his dates exited the VIP room to avoid being witness to the execution, and headed downstairs to leave the club.

The guards aimed their guns, as Ryo glared down the barrels of the forty-fives.

"Anytime now, Megumi," he blabbered.

Within seconds, a group of people with badges hanging around their neck or clipped to their belts appeared out of the blue and pointed their guns at the two guards. The girl from the pictures was one of them.

"Drop your weapons!" she shouted.

The guards aimed their guns at the officers, forcing the officers to open fire, and cover them in a blaze of bullets. They stumbled backwards, and fell back to lie in their own pool of blood.

The officers holstered their weapons, as Ryo turned to face the brown-haired woman.

"Took you long enough!" he shouted. "Didn't you realize my cover was blown when he called me detective?"

"Sorry, had problems with the bouncer out front. I thought about giving him a _B.J._ to get us through the door." Ryo pursed his lips while nodding in a disbelieving matter. "Where's the chip?"

"The suspect took it. Didn't you stop him while you were busting in?"

"No, we didn't see him."

"Didn't see him? How could you have missed him, Megumi? Perhaps you need glasses like your mother!"

Megumi tightened her jaw line, and said, "Maybe he took a back exit."

"Maybe he did. Search the premise. The CIA wants that chip since it gives names of non-contract agencies!"

Megumi nodded and motioned her unit to head out.

Xxx

Out on the streets, the plump man sat in his limo that was traveling down the road. He was making out with his dates, giving them shots of sake and other liquors, laughing as they listened to a J-rock song playing through the speakers.

"Ne, Yao-sama, you really showed that cop guy," said the girl to his right.

"Bwa, ha, ha, ha! I know" laughed the plump man. "Nobody can out smart me, Yaoyatsu Iubuyu. Now, all this talk about a B.J. has gotten Chibi Yao all stiffy. How about you girls help me out."

"Oh, but we had other plans for you," said the girl to his left.

"Oh REALLY! What is it?"

The girls smirked, and at the same time, they said, "For you to die."

"EH?"

The girls highlighted in blue, as their eyes burned red. The plump man freaked out, and then felt his head begin to expand. Within seconds, his head exploded to have his brain, skull, blood and hair spatter everywhere in the back. The driver looked back startled, stopped the car, and jumped out of it to run for his life.

However, he only got twenty feet before he felt his own head expand, and then explode.

The two girls exited the car with the microchip in their possession. The girl on the right took out a small device, typed in, _We got the chip!_ and sent it. The girl put away the phone and smiled at her sister.

Suddenly, she felt a knife strike her back. She gasped for a second, her eyes rolling up in her socket, and then fell forward dead. Behind her stood someone in the dark.

"Who… who are you?" said the girl on the left. "Don't come near me, or I'll blow your head off." The figure ignored her warning and started approaching her. "Fine, you're dead!"

She began to highlight in blue, hoping to scare the person, but he continued forward. She released her useless power, and started to run with the case. She only took ten steps before a blade pierced the back of her head.

Like her sister, her eyes rolled up into her socket, but her body ended up twisting while falling dead. The figured person walked over to the corpse, picked up the case, and headed off into the shadows.

A few minutes later, cop cars pulled up to the scene. Ryo and Megumi exited a red oval shaped car that had a Toyota Camry logo on it. They walked up to the scene with their weapons drawn, looked in the car to see the beheaded plump man, and then the girls with knives stuck in them. Megumi also spotted the driver.

"These were the girls that were glued to Yaoyatsu," said Ryo. "What happened here?"

"_Attention all units!"_ said a male's voice through the CB in Ryo's car. _"BY454 and YB545 's stars had been active in Shibuya, but now they have fallen."_

"I think there's your answer," said Megumi. "Looks like they wanted the chip, but someone else wanted it more."

"But whom?"

Xxx

Ryo sat in the conference room next Megumi to with their boss, Kagawa Hayate, sitting at the front of the table. He was a middle-aged man with grey and black messy hair, wore a business suit, and had a scrubby face.

Two other members of the Foreign Affairs sat across from them. One was a man who wore a black coat and blue jeans, and the other was a female wearing a tan skirt, white blouse, and black hair cut short. She happened to be just out of the academy and was hired for her intelligence.

"The CIA isn't happy about what had happened," said Hayate. "I've been getting chat calls from them on the hour, expressing their displeasure, and threatening to shut us down. They only kept us up because they needed a policing unit in this city, and to make the locals happy.

"We better get our priorities straight or we will be looking for new jobs outside the city."

After the CIA took over the city, they had put down strict rules and used their own Military to police Tokyo. In other cities in Japan, local police offices still had control over their jurisdictions.

As the years went by, the CIA found it harder to patrol Pandora and the streets of Tokyo, and reopened the Foreign Affairs. However, it still had been strict. Because of these problems, a lot of Japanese people living in the city noticed their daily traditions fading away. Some speculated that in fifty to eighty years from now, the Japanese culture would be extinct.

Their language had been disappearing due to American's living in the area. Only small locations in nearly dead neighborhoods kept up on their ancient writing. The schools in the vicinity no longer taught Japanese, except Tokyo University. The University alone was hard to get accepted in nowadays. They took in a certain amount of Japanese since the Americans wanted their own race located in the city.

A lot of young folks forgot mere gestures, like not leave before their bosses at work, or taking off his or her shoes in the house.

Megumi was one of the few Japanese descendants that still abided by it.

"Now, what do we know about the two Contractors that were killed," said Hayate, changing the subject.

The young woman across from Ryo and Megumi stood while coughing, and said, "Not much, Sir. All we know is that their power is to implode someone's head, but it doesn't exploded unless they use it together, which makes their obeisance to rely on the other to help.

"We theorized that they are apart of the non-contract agency, were sent here to retrieve the file to save their agency, and perhaps locate other agencies to either kill them or make deals."

"And whom was the one who theorized this, Sakura?" Hayate asked.

"Me, Sir," replied Ryo.

"Section-Chief Kimara, what did I say about theories. This organization does not put together theories, only facts. We follow the rules of our predecessors before us."

"I know the rules, Sir, but it doesn't hurt to throw those thoughts out there."

"You maybe right, but we stay to the facts to please the CIA."

"But, Sir!"

"It's not your ear that's getting ripped by the CIA. It's mine, and I say we stay on the right path. Do we know who killed them?"

"No, Sir," replied Megumi, as she stood while Sakura returned to her seat. "We had the lab check for finger prints on the blades, but there was nothing. We then checked the manufacture on the blades, but there is none."

"None? Aren't all weapons implanted with model numbers these days since it's illegal throughout the world to own a weapon: even a kitchen knife."

"Yes, Sir," nodded Megumi. "It would seem that the blades were illegally forged. We had the metal tested to see where they might have come from, but we're not getting any hits. Whoever this person is, he or she doesn't want to be found."

Hayate sat in silence for a few seconds, and then said, "Good work, Detective. Your mother would be proud of you."

Megumi smiled, as she tried to hide a frown in it. She loved her mother, but she was sick and tired of being compared to her. She wanted to be her own person, not her mother.

"Thank you, Sir," she said instead, and sat back down.

"Do we have any leads on the whereabouts of any of the non-contract agencies?" Hayate asked.

"From what the Astronomy lab has noticed from specters, there seems to be activity in the rundown neighborhoods," said Ryo. "I plan on going down there with Megumi to talk with an informant. Perhaps he could tell me what's going on."

"Who's the informant?"

"Someone I busted for illegal immigration two years ago."

"Make sure you report back everything you find, Section-Chief."

"Yes, Sir."

Xxx

Ryo sat on the left side of the car with Megumi to his right, as they headed towards their destination that had been programmed in the GPS.

There was no roar or purr from the engine since every vehicle that was manufactured were battery powered. It had been law for the past fifteen years, and because of it, new laws were placed to have all vehicles that were battery operated be placed under highway traffic control called _The Traffic Control System_, also known as, TCS.

TCS was an automatic function system that ran out of a Traffic Control Headquarters posted every one hundred kilometers from each other. It operated every registered vehicle purchased off a dealer lot and kept them in the proper lane and destination. Towers that boosted the signal was spaced around like cell phone towers.

The weather outside was raining, which required the traffic to travel at a slower pace.

"You're jealous, aren't you," spoke up Ryo.

"Of what?" Megumi asked, staring out the windshield.

"That you weren't chosen as Section-Chief."

Megumi chuckled, and said, "Far from it. I'm happy where I'm at."

Ryo looked over at her.

"Why did you choose to come work out here?" he asked. "Why leave your job and family in Yokohama? They live by the old way."

"All this time we worked together, now you ask me these questions. Mainly because I wanted to see Tokyo. My mom talked about it when I was growing up. I knew it was hard to get approved to live here, and when I was approached last year at the Yokohama police force, I took it."

"What did your mom say about you leaving?"

"She told me to be careful."

"Words to live by."

The red car pulled up to their destination and stopped before a rundown building. The street had potholes from lack of care, garbage scattered everywhere, and broken down cars. There were a dozen light poles that were cracked, and a couple of them that flickered on and off.

The buildings were moldy and damaged, sign lights broken and flashing occasionally, and missing, broken or stained windows. A few of the rooms had working lights.

Ryo and Megumi exited the vehicle to stare up at it.

"Like the sight of Tokyo now?" teased Ryo, causing Megumi to smile brightly.

They headed up the staircase to the third floor, walked by a few doors, and stopped in front of apartment 334. Ryo knocked on the door with his middle knuckles. There was no answer, coercing Ryo to knock again.

The door unlocked, followed by the doorknob turning, and then it creaked open enough for a pair of dark eyes to peek out.

"Oh, hell no! Not you!" shouted the man inside.

He went to close the door, but Ryo kicked it open and stepped inside the room. The man held up his hands and backed off to give the two officers room. He was a dark skinned, muscular man with a buzzed cut and wore a gray hooded sweatshirt.

"Hey, copper, I done nothing, man!" he stated in English.

"I didn't say you did," replied Ryo in English. "But I'm obliged to find out if you did due to the way you treated me at the door."

"Yo, man, every time you show up at my crib, I'm always making a trip to your big, fancy building."

"Whenever I show up at your door, Danny, it's because you've done something illegal, or broke your probation. I'm not here for anything but information."

"Info? Of what?"

"Anything you've seen unusual around here? People here that shouldn't be?"

"Yeah, two cops. But yet, I see one who is hotter than my ex." Dan glared at Megumi and pursed his lips at her. "Damn, girl, you can cuff me anytime. Oh, what's the matter, hotty, don't understand what homie here is saying? That's okay, we don't need words for a little banging, do we."

Megumi smiled and walked up to Dan. She hit him in his stomached, twisted his right arm behind his back, and kicked his feet out from under him to throw him to the ground with her knee in his back.

"No, we don't need words for a little banging," she spoke in English. "And the name is Detective Itashi Megumi."

"Ouch! Damn!" whined Dan. "Okay, bro. I'll fill you in with what I know. Just get your woman off me."

"I'm not his woman." Megumi tightened her grip, compelling Dan to scream. "Start talking, or start thinking about how to pay your doctor's bill."

"Yo, man, this is harassment!" Dan felt his arm tightened to the brink of breaking. "Ouch! Okay! Look, some dudes and two hot brads showed up three days ago. They've been chillaxin' a few blocks over. I went to take a peek, mostly to check out the hot brads. No offence, hotty, but they were twice as hot as you."

"None taken."

"You get a look at the guys and what they had in their place?" Ryo asked.

"Man, you out yo'r mind!" shouted Dan. "Hell no. Danno don't play that way. I only had eyes for the brads. I could give you their cup sizes, if you like."

"No need. They're lying in our morgue as we speak."

"Say what, dog? They dead? Oh what a waste. They looked good to tap. Mm, mm!"

"And they were Contractors," informed Megumi.

"What? Contractors? The way they were stroking each other in the shower! Hell no!"

"Sorry, pal, but they were," replied Ryo.

"Man, you two just ruined my lonely nights."

"Get a doll. A blow up doll," stated Megumi. "What apartment building and room?"

"Second building to the right from here. Fourth floor. Room 403."

Megumi released her hold on Dan to head out the front door with Ryo.

"Oh, and don't go calling yourself Danno. That's reserved for the television show, Hawaii five-0," chimed in Ryo. As they drew towards the stairs he said to Megumi, "And he's right. Those twins were hotter."

Megumi tightened her jaw line as she forced another smile.

They descended the stairs, walked over to the second building, and began checking out cars and vans parked along it with their guns drawn. After spending five minutes peeking around, they headed up to the second floor to cautiously walk over to room 403.

As they drew near it, they noticed an old man, wearing thick sunglasses and a raggedy coat with graying long hair and a beard, trying to enter room 402.

"Excuse me, Sir," whispered Ryo to the old man. "Foreign Affairs. We need you to step back."

The old man looked towards them, and then slowly shuffled back. Megumi placed her back to the right of the door, her gun pointing downwards, while Ryo took the other side with his gun pointing upwards.

Ryo held up three fingers, and started to count down. Three… two… one…

He pulled away from the wall, faced the door, and kicked it in.

However, unknown to him was a bomb connected to the door. It exploded, sending the door back at Ryo, and knocking him off the railing to his death. Megumi was blasted backwards and sprawled on the ground with cuts and bruises.

She looked up at the ceiling, unable to comprehend anything as her ears rang. The old man came at her side and looked down at her. He had removed his glasses; at least she thought he had. She couldn't tell as she lost consciousness.

The last thing she recalled were murky colors mixed in with the brightest blue she had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

Generation New

A/N: I meant to leave an author's note in the first chapter, but I got ahead of myself. I attend to write this out as close to season one: meaning there is going to be two parts, and close to what happened in the episode. Sort of. I'm trying to get the reader to feel like its DTB. There's no pairing either. Please enjoy.

xxx

A New Generation of Contractors and Humans: Part Two

Rain poured down on the city, making the day seem cold and damp. The roads were flooded, as drains tried to keep up with the accumulation.

It had been a week since the explosion at the rundown apartments. People had gathered at a small and cramped cemetery to say their last goodbyes to Section-Chief Kimara Ryo. It had been blanketed in mixtures of black and white umbrellas to keep the friends and families of the loved one dressed in his or her attires dry. The older folks wore white Kimono while the younger generation dressed in black western attire.

However, human tears prevented every portion of the human body from being dry.

Kimara's parents, his two sisters, nephews and nieces stood in front while everybody else gathered randomly behind them. Megumi and her colleagues were mixed within the crowd. She was the only one in her unit who was dressed in a Kimono.

She couldn't believe she was still alive after the explosion with little injury. She had been checked out of the hospital two days after being rushed in. The doctors would have let her go earlier, but they wanted to be sure she had no internal injuries.

Megumi pleaded to return to work, but her boss had demanded her to take some leave. She didn't like sitting around her small apartment, and tried countless times to get updates on the case. To her dismay, her boss had found out to where he had given her an earful.

What she was mostly curious about was the old man who was at the apartment. When she had woken up at the hospital, she had asked if he was all right, and if he had called the EMS. Nobody knew what she was talking about. They had said it had been pervert Dan who had called the EMS. He too had said there wasn't anybody else at the scene.

Ryo's mother carried his ashes over to a small hole in the ground and placed it in as she shed numerous tears. She stood with her hands covering her face and stepped back to let two men fill in the hole.

Once they were done, the two men left so that friends could say their condolences. A few people bowed while others shook hands or hugged due to their American influence.

Sakura was one of the few who shook the Kimaras' hands. One of the sisters and the parents were somewhat offended, but they hid it as they thanked her for coming by. Hayate bowed and said how much he was sorry for their loss. The family returned the gesture.

Megumi stepped in front of them, got to her knees, and bowed in the mud and rain. The younglings looked curiously at the old tradition, as the parents and siblings looked down at her, waiting for her to speak.

"I am truly sorry for Ryo's death," she pleaded. "It should have been me who had kicked in the door and died in the explosion. If I could, I would give up my life to bring him back."

Ryo's mother squatted next to Megumi to shield her from the cold rain with her umbrella, and gestured for Megumi to rise. She did so, but stayed on her knees and stared up at Ryo's mother while cold rain dripped from her nose, cheek and hair.

"You need not apologize," she said. "He knew the risk, as we all did. I'm sure he was happy to give his life so that you could continue to live."

Megumi stared at her for a second, bowed again, and said, "Thank you so much."

Ryo's mom smiled at her kindness for a woman of her generation, and helped her to her feet. Ryo's mom took a couple of steps back while placing her hands over her lap, and bowed. Megumi returned it, both of them holding it for a long period of time.

Megumi straightened up, as did Ryo's mom, and departed each other's presence. Megumi began exiting the cemetery, getting doused to the bone in the brisk rain. Hayate looked her way and followed her out. He caught up with her to hang his umbrella over her head, as she stopped at a crosswalk.

"You'll catch a cold," he said. She smiled. "We're all going to a banquet in Ryo's name later. Care to join us?"

"Sorry, sir, but I'll pass," replied Megumi. "I have things I have to take care of."

The light turned to a hand signal to let her cross the street with other occupants. Megumi did so with Hayate following.

"You don't have to be alone, Megumi."

"I know, but I don't feel like a party right now."

"I understand." They were silent for a few moments. "I heard your mother couldn't make it to see you in the hospital or attend the funeral."

"She couldn't get her paperwork and transportation together in time. She's glad I'm alright, and wishes the best for Ryo's family."

Hayate raised his chin up in compliance. "Your mom taught you our old tradition?"

Megumi nodded.

"My dad didn't approve. He said there wasn't any reason to teach a dying art. Typical for him to say that since he's Canadian."

"You still talk to him?"

Megumi peered over at him, and then averted her eyes.

"Ryo was asking me about my life before he died," she said. "And now you. May I ask why?"

"No reason. I guess I got curious. My apologies if I offended you."

"No need. To answer your question, yes. Occasionally. Can I ask you a question concerning the case?" Hayate nodded, believing it was fair. "Find the guys who blew us up?"

"We got pictures of two suspects off I.D.s from the owner of the apartment, but we think the names are fake. No doubt they knew we would find them after those twin Contractors were killed. We believe one of them might have military background."

"You have any leads on their whereabouts?"

"We have a direction. Cameras on the toll way were able to identify them heading south from the city."

"From the city? How'd they get pass security at the city's borderline?"

"Blew them to shreds. No bomb fragments were found, and it gets worse. Due to the fact that other parts of Japan are still under Japanese law, they aren't equipped with any cameras in the suburbs since residents are afraid the CIA would watch their every move."

"Fearing of what American's call 'Unity,' but what we call as 'World Domination.' As if the Second war in South America isn't proof of that."

After the death of BK201, Heaven's Gate had reappeared. As it arose from the unknown, every country in the world, even the poorest, swarmed to take control of it: including the United States.

As a consequence, a never-ending war had been going on. A hundred million of young men and women, many under the age of eighteen, were drafted and sent to his or her death. Ones who had survived were sent back countless of times. The only time they got to stay home for over two years was when they returned in a box.

Because of it, human population was decreasing. Governments around the world united for a one-year meeting, and came to an agreement that all drafts were to be disbanded. Only men and women willing to risk his or her life were allowed into the military until humanity restored itself. It also had postponed the execution of Contractors.

During this process, many countries signed a treaty and joined forces together to combine their troops and over power smaller groups. Eventually the smaller countries joined with the dominant countries.

"What was it like?" Megumi asked. "Before Izanami? Before the Gates?"

"I was too young to know what the sky looked like before the fake stars took over, but I remember the world was a better place before Izanami created so much death and destruction. Doesn't your mother ever talk about it?"

"Occasionally, but mostly of things I could care less about, as well as my dad." Megumi reached the JR line station, stopped in front of the entrance, and looked back at her boss. "I want to come back to work tomorrow."

"Detective Itashi," began Hayate, irritated. "This isn't you! You're usually laid back. Why the change of attitude? Is it because of Ryo's death?"

Megumi averted her eyes for a second, but refocused them on his.

"Please, sir," she pleaded.

Hayate breathed in heavily, and let it out.

"All right. I need to introduce the new Section-Chief soon anyways, and I want you present as well."

"Thank you, sir," bowed Megumi, having him smirk and return it.

She turned on her heels and walked into the station.

Xxx

Outside the city off the toll road in a cluttered of trees was a small motel building and an energy charger station for battery operated cars.

At the motel in room ten, a Caucasian man sat on the floor in front of a small table cleaning his gun. He had a baldhead and wore a business suit with the top two buttons undone.

A teenage Caucasian boy kneeled across from him with his right hand on the table. He had green eyes, bowl style brown hair, and was dressed in a bulky button up shirt and waist high black pants.

He stayed still as a statue, not blinking, as though he was staring at things beyond a normal person's view.

The front door opened in which a dark-skinned man stepped through and then closed it behind him. He was as tall as a basketball player, had an afro, wore a brown suit, and held two bags of groceries in his right hand.

The afro man walked over to the small table, placed the bags on the table, and sat next to the Caucasian man.

"He still hasn't found the chip?" the afro man asked.

"Nope," replied the Caucasian man. "He's just been kneeling there. These Dolls are supposed to be reliable, but I think they're nothing but junk. They can't communicate with proper etiquette, and they just stand there staring at nothing.

"This is a waste of time. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Why not just run for it?"

"Because they'd find us with one of their other Dolls and kill us. We just better sit tight and hope this Doll can find our ticket out of here."

"Hopefully he can find it soon. I'm worried about being found."

"Relax! We're safe out here from the cops."

"I'm not worried about the cops. I'm worried about the person who killed the twin Contractors."

The afro man snorted.

"If things go well, we'll find him first," he said.

Xxx

The next day, Megumi exited the elevator on the fourth floor of the Foreign Affairs and walked over to her desk. Her two comrades averted their eyes from their work and looked at her astounded to see her back.

She sat next to Sakura while looking over at Ryo's empty seat. It felt wrong without the leader of their team, and Hayate was planning on bringing in a new Section-Chief. She didn't want a new Chief; she wanted only the people they had now.

"Megumi, why are you here?" Sakura asked. "I thought Commander Hayate gave you two weeks off."

"I asked him if I could return," replied Megumi.

"And he let you just like that?" asked Shoji, who sat across from Sakura.

Megumi fixed her eyes on him for a second, and then focused on her work. She hit a button on her keyboard to have a holographic image pop up of her and a few of her friends in bikinis back in Yokohama.

Sometimes she wondered why she had left that life.

It was calm, quiet, and she only had to deal with thieves and occasionally a few shootouts. Now, it felt like she was facing killers every time she blinked. She wondered how her mother dealt with it.

She reached out her finger and touched an icon on her screen's desktop to open it. A dozen of folders appeared with names and dates written on it. She placed her index fingers on the screen, and motioned them downwards to scroll through the files. Megumi found a folder that dated the explosion, tapped it open and began reading it.

The information stated that the two men were foreigners and their Passports they had used to enter the country were fakes. A bulletin of their faces had been posted, and if either man were seen, it was demanded to contact the Foreign Affairs.

They also had a boy with them around the age of thirteen to sixteen. Megumi pondered if the boy might be a hostage but didn't see any motive, so she determined he was a Doll.

Across the room, Hayate opened his office door and stepped through it.

"Conference room," he stated.

The team stood, walked over to a door to their right and entered it. They took their natural places at the table while turning their attention forward. Megumi was puzzled that no one else was with them. Was Hayate postponing the announcement of a new Section-Chief?

"Did you gather any more information on our foreign fugitives?" he asked Sakura.

"Yes, Sir," she said while standing. "We were able to get their real names from the data base." She tapped something on her small device she held to have a picture of a Caucasian man appear over the desk. "His name is Charlie White. He's been on the run for over five years for kidnapping and killing dozens of men and women. He was last seen in Indonesia.

"His partner, Dushawn Jackson," she tapped her device to change over to a dark skinned man, "aka, Jack the Ringer, is a former Military member of the United States as an explosive expert. He was given a dishonorable discharge for blowing up one of their bases in South America, and was sentence to death for treason. However, he mysteriously blew his way out of prison two years later and has been bombing countless government bodies in the United States."

"Now we know who could build that bomb that killed Detective Ryo," said Shoji. "To build a bomb that focused ninety percent of the blast at the door, that's pure genius."

"What?" Megumi questioned. "Is that how I survived the blast?"

"I'm afraid so," replied Hayate.

Megumi bit the bottom of her lip. Because of one thing concerning the explosion, she was still breathing and her Chief was reduced to ashes.

"What about the boy?" Shoji asked.

"That is an interesting one," continued Sakura, pulling up the teenager's photo. "Joshua Statham. He was killed in a car accident five years ago in London. It was his fault from drinking and driving, killing not only himself, but his friends with him in the car, and a husband and father in the other vehicle."

"So he has to be a Doll."

"And I can't find him in any of the local Doll data bases."

Six years after the Izanami incident, the war had spiked to its highest peak. Because of it, Dolls were being manufactured like cars, using memories from military corpses. It became difficult to keep track of them, so each Doll was fit with a pin number before he or she were sold.

Many people, mostly ones who lost their loved ones in South America, were appalled by it, and started massive riots throughout the world for months. Many civilians had been killed.

"So he was made illegally," said Megumi. "How'd they get the memory?"

"Four years after Joshua's death, his grave was dug up and his body stolen. The London police speculated it was a statement concerning the dangers of drinking and driving, and someone like him shouldn't be laid to rest."

"A good theory, but it seems they were wrong," said Hayate, "and that's why none of you all are to think that way, understood."

"Yes, sir," they said.

"Have you located their whereabouts yet, Officer Izaki Sakura?"

"No, sir," she replied, shaking her head and taking her seat while turning off the hologram.

"All right," Hayate breathed out. "I cannot put on hold our new Section-Chief anymore. The CIA has been demanding a name, and I wanted you three to know first. That's one of the reasons why I let you back, Detective Itashi. I had a long and hard thought on this, and my choice is final.

"Detective Itashi, I picked you."

"Me? Sir, I thought you were hiring someone for the job," she said.

"I didn't want that. You three work together well, and I didn't want this team feeling like they were being stomped out by an outsider."

"But, sir. I'm too young."

"I beg to differ. I recall there was once someone who ran this department at the same age."

Megumi's jaw line tightened, and knew the real reason why she was picked. She bet Hayate wanted her as Section-Chief over Ryo if the CIA hadn't interfered.

"They're not going to like your pick, sir," said Megumi.

"It doesn't matter if they do or don't. Meeting adjourned, Section-Chief Itashi Megumi."

"Yes, sir."

Megumi and the team stood to leave the room.

Xxx

At the motel outside the city, the two men sat before a television, as they waited patiently as they could. There were a few ramen noodle bowls and two bottles of Coke lying next to them.

The boy had stayed exactly the way he had five hours ago, not blinking once. Charlie thought about making some quick cash by having strangers bet they couldn't outlast the kid in an eye-blinking contest. He then babbled about wanting to go and hunt for the microchip on foot, thinking it would be quicker, but Dushawn had said that he'd be spotted by the specters within an hour.

"Found it," the Doll said two hours later.

Charlie jumped, crawled over to him and said, "WHERE?"

"Ueno, Shitaya, Asakusa street. Right side."

The two men stood, Dushawn snatching the Doll by the collar of his shirt, and headed out of the motel to enter a green rectangular car. Charlie sat behind the wheel, as Dushawn threw the Doll in the back and then settled in the passenger seat.

Charlie turned on the car to have it hop on the eastbound Toumei Expressway toll way. He snapped on a small white device with a screen on a GPS like dashboard screen, and clipped two lever-like switches on the steering wheel at nine and three. He tapped the white device to have a dot run back and forth on the screen.

After three passes, it blinked, causing the car to decelerate and swerve. Charlie took a hold of the steering wheel, placed his thumb on the right lever, and pushed it to make the car speed up. The speed limit that TCS authorized was at eighty kilometers per hour, but Charlie pushed the car to one hundred.

He zigzagged around traffic; occasionally pressing the left lever to brake so not to slam into other vehicles, and having the other occupants look on startled. There were three cars that happened to take up each lane, infuriating Charlie.

He drove up to a mini-squared red car with gray stripes along the sides traveling in the right lane, placed his corner bumper to the red car's right bumper, and turned his steering wheel left. The red car began to spin, its tires screeching at the loss of grip, causing the car's traction control to activate, and have it straighten itself out. Charlie cursed, placed his bumper on the red car's other side, and turned the steering wheel hard right. The red car spun to complete a one-eighty while the family in the car grabbed a hold of something. The car swerved into the center lane to slam into a black aerodynamic car with gold rims. The red car began spinning back the other way, the tires losing its grip entirely, and flipped. It tumbled over like a pinwheel with parts flying off it near and far.

Charlie swerved to avoid the wreck and straightened out while the red car a green struck the roof of a white car. The cars began to break, but a majority of them were too late and began to create a domino affect that caused a massive car pile.

The toll entrance to the city drew near, showing four booth stations.

Dushawn peeked his head out of the window to look at the dumbfounded policeman standing in front of the second from the left, as he awed at the accident.

Dushawn glowed blue as his eyes burned red.

The cop's eyes widened, which caused him to reach for his gun at his side, but stopped as he felt his bones buckle the wrong way, and then found his body exploding to have his blood splatter everywhere. He fell backwards dead with the car crashing through the gate to send splinters all over while a big chunk spun in the air like a propeller for a few seconds before dropping and clanking on the ground.

Xxx

The Foreign Affairs members sat at their desk trying to find any leads on the two men and the Doll. Shoji had called the local police outside the city, but they gave him the runaround, as though they didn't care.

Since the Foreign Affairs joined the CIA, the Japanese citizens across the country wanted nothing to do with them. Nevertheless, they were bound by law to assist them.

Sakura's computer began to ring. She touched the video icon that was flashing to have an officer appear on it.

"Foreign Affairs," she said.

"_A rectangular car had just ran the eastbound gate __on the Toumei Expressway__ and one of our men was killed!" _he shouted.

"OH MY GOD! An officer was killed!" she screamed. Her colleagues averted their eyes from their work to stare at her. "What happened?"

"_I told you! A rectangular car ran the tollgate! As it did! My man was… blown up!"_

"Ran the gate? How? The Traffic Control System is required to stop all cars?"

"_I don't know, miss!"_

"Did you get the license plate number and a photo of the driver?"

"_Yes, ma'am. It's the guys who killed Section-Chief Ryo and my other gate guards."_

Megumi and Shoji looked towards the screen, as they and Sakura said, "What?"

Alarms sounded off on everybody's computer to have video screens pop up and show a rectangular car blazing through the city.

Shoji returned his attention to his screen. He drawled a circle around the car, placed his finger inside it, and slide it aside to pull up the vehicles current status. It showed the TCS control was flashing red, indicating it was inactive, and its speed exceeding the limit.

"They must have dismantled the TCS in the car somehow," he said.

"An illegal overwrite traffic control device," said Megumi, as she walked over to his desk to peek at the screen. "Very hard to get one, and very expensive."

"I knew putting steering wheels in unauthorized manual cars was a bad idea."

"The auto companies got cheap with the cost. They believed doing such things would have been more expensive. They had said they would have had to make two assembly lines, and the TCS cars would have been more expensive."

"You ask me, that makes no sense."

Megumi smiled. "Do we have a direction?"

"Better, boss," Shoji said, making Megumi frown. He tapped the status report and pulled out more information. "I accessed their GPS to see they had put in an address for Ueno."

"That's if it still is their destination. Shoji, we're heading there. Sakura, keep us updated on their movements."

Sakura nodded.

Megumi and Shoji entered the elevator to head down to the garage. Once they reached it, they walked over to a maize Toyota to open the two front doors and sat in it.

It was a new model named Celty, lengthy but compact, shoulder length high, and aerodynamically smooth. The headlights were rectangular and slanted, and the rear end was jacked up higher with wide taillights.

Megumi pushed the on button on the left side of the steering wheel, having the interior's dashboard and center console light up. She reached over to the center console and hit the manual control button on it. A triangle light with a quotation mark flashed on her dashboard.

"_Warning! Traffic Control System overwritten. Drive at your own risk." _A female voice announced.

Megumi placed her hands at nine and three on the steering wheel, pressed her left thumb down on a half moon lever on the steering column, reached towards the center console that had a shifter on it with three slots. It read, "TCS, Reverse, and Drive." She moved it from TCS down to Reverse. Megumi looked over her shoulder while removing her thumb from the lever, making the car move out slowly.

Once they were cleared, Megumi placed her thumb on the lever again, halting the car. She hit the siren switch, placed the shifter into drive, and released her thumb once more. She pressed her right thumb a quarter of the way down on the lever to her right to have the vehicle move slowly.

In ordered to drive a vehicle manually, a person had to take a two to three months training course. The process was the same as in the old days. You needed to pass a written test, a road test, and you had to control your temper.

Every police officer, military personnel, and EMS employees were required to have such a license due to emergencies, such as Megumi and Shoji were facing. If anyone who didn't or couldn't pass weren't given these privileges. If anybody that caused an accident while operating a vehicle manually would be given a four hundred dollar fine, and required to retake the course test.

Ever since the TCS started, road accidents and deaths had decreased by ninety percent. There were incidences, like people overwriting the TCS, or devices failing where cars drove out of control. It was rare for one of these things to happen.

Megumi rode up the ramp before stopping the car so that the TCS could yield on coming traffic for her, and pressed harshly on the switch to blaze the maize car into traffic. She checked the GPS above the shifter to locate where the unauthorized control car was, and turned a corner to head for the toll way.

Cars were pulled aside from the siren to give her car space. People in their vehicles looked out his or her window to see what was going on, as if it was new for them to experience such a thing as a cop car drove by.

Once her odometer read over eighty kilometers, another warning flashed on her dashboard.

"_Warning! Exceeding posted speed. Please use caution," _the female voice said.

"I don't see why they have to announce that. We already know we're doing that," said Shoji.

"It's protocol," stated Megumi. "All though, it does get annoying after awhile."

As she approached intersections, the traffic lights would shine red four ways, stopping all motion to keep things clear for her. Once she was through, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened.

Megumi saw the signs for the toll way, rode up the westbound ramp, and made the car hop before choosing the right lane to drive down in it. Cars slowed down with ones that were in her lane moving over to the middle lane.

"_Warning! Exceeding posted speeds. Please use caution," _repeated the female voice.

Megumi looked down at her GPS to see her car closing in with the other heading towards her. They were still ten kilometers out.

Megumi noticed her speed had reached over one hundred kilometers. Figuring that was acceptable for her, she clicked in the lever to lock it, and settled on steering around turns and cars.

Things were going smooth for her now, but she knew once she started chasing the other car on fully, bad things were going to happen.

After six minutes of blazing through the streets, the car was now two kilometers away. Megumi removed the lock to pull off the toll way. She drove around the block for a few seconds before she could hop on the eastbound ramp, as their target shot by.

She pressed down the gas lever to start the chase. To her dissatisfaction, it seemed to take them forever to catch up.

"_Warning! Exceeding speed limit. Please use caution," _repeated the voice a third time.

"I know! Shut up already!" shouted Megumi.

Within five minutes, they caught up with the unauthorized car. However, since Megumi's siren was going off, cars were clearing a path for their suspects as well.

Megumi got on their bumper; as Shoji grabbed a mike, and said, "Pull over!" to have his voice echo outside the car.

The man in the passenger seat turned towards the back window. Suddenly, Megumi freaked out as she saw the interior of the other vehicle glow blue, and pressed the brake lever, as she steered the car away while the concrete before them buckled and exploded.

"CONTRACTOR!" she shouted.

"That explains the mysterious explosions!" chimed Shoji. "One hit from that and we're dead!"

Since she lost a majority of her speed, she had to regain it and hear the warning once more. To her luck, she was able to catch up with no hassle. Shoji pulled out a nine millimeter, rolled down his window to stick his head out it with the wind kicking his hair back, and fired two shots to strike the car's left taillight and back window, shattering it. He fired two more rounds, hitting the trunk.

The passenger, who looked to be the dark-skinned man, glowed blue again, forcing Megumi to steer out of its trajectory. The front of a violet car buckled and exploded, shredding the tires. The car spun out of control in which it flipped and toppled a few times before coming to a stop on its roof. Other cars behind it slammed on their brakes to come to a complete stop. Megumi straightened out her car, as Shoji looked at the mess behind them.

"Gees! Hopefully that person is all right! TCS HQ better not hold us accountable for any of these accidents against us!" babbled Shoji.

He stuck his head out the window again while taking careful aim before firing off two more rounds. One hit the trunk, and the other hit the dark skin man's back seat. The dark-skinned man flinched; no doubt he was hit, as he called on his power to destroy the road beside Megumi's car. Shoji flinched as a few pieces of concrete struck his arm.

The dark-skinned man regained his composure and glowed blue. Megumi's blood turned cold as she lined up his eye sights, and grabbed Shoji's shirt to yank him back in the car a split second before her mirror and cross bar buckled and exploded. Shrapnel flew out and back, barely missing him.

"Too… too close!" he murmured.

"You're welcome!" mocked Megumi.

The dark-skinned man highlighted in blue, making Megumi prepare for what was in store, but she looked on stupidly at why he was staring at the ground. As she realized his intentions, it was too late to react, as her left tire buckled and exploded into pieces.

The car fell onto its rotor, making the car pull to its right, and having sparks fly everywhere. Megumi fought with the steering wheel, pressing the brake hard with her palm, while trying to gain control of the car and avoid swerving into another lane, or worse, flipping over. Shoji grinded his teeth together, as he braced himself against what was left of the side door, and started praying to Kami-sama.

A light that indicated her right tire was unable to hold air flashed continuously, along with other lights she couldn't pick out.

"_Warning! Car not drivable! Please switch back to TCS! Warning! Car not drivable! Please switch back to TCS! Warning! Car not drivable! Please switch back to TCS!"_

"What? You think you could do better?" lectured Megumi.

Megumi was able to slow down and regain control to pull the car off and make a complete stop with her hazard light automatically turning on. She slammed her palm on the steering wheel, and exited the car with Shoji who walked around it and observed the damage. It looked as though a huge shredder had nicked part of her car.

She cursed while kicking the side of the vehicle.

"Why did the car manufactures return back to tires instead of keeping hover technology?" she asked while placing her right hand on top of her forehead.

"If I remember, people weren't buying it because it was too expensive," replied Shoji."

Megumi looked at him displeased for telling her something she had already knew. She sighed, and said, "You wouldn't know how to change a spare, would you?"

Xxx

Charlie exited the ramp to pull onto the local road and headed northwards. Beside him, Dushawn pressed his left hand on his shoulder, as his sweat and blood stained the upholstery.

They knew the Foreign Affairs would be after them, and they thought they could handle them. Apparently, they were wrong.

Twenty minutes later, Charlie pulled to a stop in front of a building, looked back at the Doll, and said, "In here, right?" The Doll nodded. Charlie looked over at his partner. "Stay here."

"I'm fine," said Dushawn.

"The hell you are. I'd be lucky to find you still alive when I get back."

"Be my luck… and I wouldn't have to… shop for you to perform my obeisance." He cringed to say.

"Just stay here. I have the Doll to guide me and watch my back."

Charlie fixed an earpiece in his ear, grabbed a gun to put a silencer on it, and exited the car to enter the building.

"_Second floor,"_ said the Doll.

Charlie ascended the emergency stairs quickly and stepped onto the second floor to see it was dark and dank.

"_Down the hall."_

Charlie pointed his gun down it, ready to shoot anyone or anything that popped out in front of him. He reached it, pointing his gun left to scan the hall, and then right to see if anything was there.

"_Right. Room 201. It's clear."_

He did so, keeping his gun forwards, and reached the room. He breathed out heavily, faced the door, and kicked it open. He stepped in quickly, keeping an eye open just in case. To his luck, it was dark since the windows were draped. However, he could make out the briefcase that had the chip inside.

Charlie put his gun behind his back and walked over to it while smiling. He opened it only to frown since there was nothing inside.

A creak sounded behind him. Charlie pulled out his gun while turning around quickly to notice a figure in the shadows. He fired a few rounds, lighting up the room slightly to reveal a black suit and something that looked like blue eyes before the figure moved. Charlie tried to follow the figure, but he was too quick. He was struck in the gut, punched across the face, and then high kicked under his jaw. He felt his feet leave the ground to where he flopped on his back while coughing from the pain.

He then found himself being picked up to stare into the figured man's face. As he looked on, he couldn't believe whom he was staring at.

"Im—impossible!" he babbled. "How?"

Xxx

Outside, Dushawn started breathing heavily, and prayed Charlie would hurry up so he could see an illegal doctor and get the bullet out of his shoulder.

Unexpectedly, someone was thrown from the second floor window, and landed on the car to bend the roof, as glass sprayed all around. Dushawn felt his heart skip a beat, jumped out of the car, and looked at his partner lying dead with cuts on his face. He then looked up at the shattered window.

The next thing he knew, his throat was slit from somebody behind him. He fell against the car, and slid down it wide eyed with a trail of blood left behind. Inside the car, the Doll looked towards the ruckus to see someone in black standing outside it. He couldn't see his face since the top of the roof was obstructing his sight.

"What's your name?" the unknown man asked.

"Willy," said the Doll.

"Come with me, if you want to keep living."

The Doll named Willy nodded, and exited the vehicle.

Xxx

Megumi and Shoji stood outside the building stunned and stumped at what had happened when they had arrived.

The only solution that they had was that the one who stole the microchip was waiting for them, and he or she figured the people who owned it wouldn't give up until they had it, or they were dead.

She also speculated the Doll had gone in with the Caucasian man, and had gotten killed up on the second floor.

They entered the complex, ascended to the second floor, and headed over to the room. Once they located it, they stepped into room 201 with their guns drawn. The only thing they saw was a briefcase.

Megumi was baffled even more. Had the unknown person not only wanted to eliminate these two men, but collect a Doll as well?


	3. Chapter 3

Generation New

A Seed of Deliverance part one:

**Eight Years after BK201's Death:**

A man in his mid thirties was working in a lab where his predecessor once worked. He typed frantically on an outdated desktop with its lights beaming off the middle aged man's glasses.

He wore a white robe with a suit under it, had brown curly hair and a crooked nose that helped keep his huge circle-shaped glasses on.

Outside the lab, it showed it was past into the night, as the man was determined to find the formula that he had been looking for at least twelve years after his mentor had perished in flames at a warehouse.

He knew he was close; he just needed to make some miner adjustments. He would have a cure and become more famous than BK201.

He typed in the last sequence, hovered his right index finger over the enter button to double check his work, and hit it.

The screen began to do the analysis, making the man watch in anticipation, and after what seemed like an hour had passed, the screen came up with a file that had said, "Error."

"NO!" shouted the man.

He plopped his head on the keypad, stood while ripping it from the USB port, and threw it across the room.

"Years of research! NOTHING!" he screamed. "Years of blood, sweat, and tears! NOTHING!" He knocked over the monitor. "NOTHING! NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING!" He sat in his chair to sob. "I'm sorry, Professor."

Suddenly, there was a beeping noise. The man looked down at the broken screen to see a file saying, "Formula successful." The man's eyes widened, as a DNA configuration appeared to start rotating 360 degrees.

The man picked up the broken screen and set it before him to get a better fix on the image. He smiled madly, and shouted, "Eureka! I did it! I did it, did it, did it!"

He snatched up his keyboard, plugged it back in, and started typing some more. He was pleased to see his long hard work had finally paid off. He was going to be rich once he showed the formula to the world.

There was a clacking noise behind him.

He turned around, and said, "Who's there?"

There was no response.

The middle-aged man stood and began looking around his cluttered and dark office, glancing around shelves, and peering at desks. Something moved behind him, making him turn around to see a dog standing close by.

He breathed out heavily, and said, "How'd you get in here?"

"I opened the door," said the dog, causing the middle-aged man to freak out.

"Co—Contractor?"

"Scared? You should be."

The man was stabbed in the back, making him look on dumbfounded, and fell dead. Behind him stood a bulky muscular man that stood as tall as the room. The dog stared up at him displeased.

"Why'd you kill him?" it asked.

"Is it irrational to keep him around?"

"It is, if the file gets damaged or lost when we obtain them."

"No worries."

The bulky man stepped over the body, plugged in a USB port into the desktop, and downloaded the formula. Once they were done, they deleted the file on the computer, and exited the cramped lab.

**Twenty-Seven Years after BK201's Death:**

The night sky filled over the city of Tokyo. District lights shined to keep the streets illuminated for the public to see and scurry around to enjoy the midnight pleasure that Tokyo had to offer.

Couples walked in arms giggling while bachelors ran around hunting for a one-night stand. Cars drove by honking at the annoyance due to the effect it had on the TCS.

Down one district, a man wearing a white mask with a purple lighting bolt on it and a black coat stood in front of a bank. He pulled out a wire, flung it upwards to connect to a sign, and flew onto the rooftop. He walked over to an air vent, pulled out a double-edged knife, and popped the vent off.

He hooked his line to the air vent, scaled down into it, unhooked his line once he reached the bottom, and crawled forward to another vent. He popped it open to have it fall and hit the hard floor, making a loud clanking sound.

The masked man lowered into the bank, disconnected from the wire to head over to a door that led to the back room, and kneeled before it while pulling out a lock pick. He got to work at it and had it unlocked in seconds. He opened the door to gain access to the back room where the volt was, and placed his hand on it while highlighting blue.

The volt clicked open.

The masked man slid back his sleeve in order to take a chunk of his skin, and twisted it to make him flinch. He then opened the volt and set foot in the huge, but cluttered room. He pulled out a bag and started throwing money into it.

Once his bag was full, he charged out of the volt to scale back into the vent and clambered upwards. The masked man climbed out of the vent and began running off, but he stopped to see a thin young woman pointing a gun at him. It had made a poof sound as she fired, and struck the masked man in the chest with a dart. The man looked down at it, yanked it out, and glared at the woman as a star disappeared.

She had blond hair wrapped in double bonnets, had green eyes, wore a red Chinese dress that fit her tightly, and held a matching purse.

"Out of my way or die," he growled.

"Oh, I'm scared," she shook, pretending to be frightened. "Kuro no Shinigami is going to kill me."

The masked man threw out his line and wrapped it around the woman, having her drop her gun and purse. She glared down at it and then at the masked man. After a few seconds passed, the masked man shuttered in disbelief.

"What's the matter, Kuro no Shinigami? Lose your power?" she teased.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded.

"I stripped you of your power. And now, I'm taking your money."

"The hell you are!"

The masked man yanked the wire to pull the woman forward. She didn't fight it, but embraced it, and jumped kicked the masked man. He stumbled back and watched as she kicked him again, having the wire fall loose.

She punched his spleen, jabbed his throat, and then roundhouse kicked him across the face, breaking his mask and having him fall face first to the ground. He began to stand to show he had a scarred face, dark eyes, and a goatee.

The woman took the dark-eyed man's wire, ran behind him, and wrapped the wire around his neck to strangle him.

"You shouldn't cosplay somebody you're not," lectured the woman. "People will get the wrong idea; especially since the real Kuro no Shinigami's been dead for almost three decades. And he was way cuter."

The dark-eyed man struggled to breathe while fighting with the wire, but it did no good, and then he suffocated.

The woman released her hold on him to let him fall motionlessly to the ground. She bent over, picked up the loot of cash and the wire. She walked back over to pick up her dart gun and purse, and used the wire to soar off into the night.

An hour later, Megumi and Shoji were standing on top of the bank's roof surveying the scene. Shoji was scanning the dead man's fingerprints while the CSIs looked around the roof and inside the bank for other clues.

Megumi watched Shoji with her arms crossed.

"Yep, his finger print matches, HU909," said Shoji to Megumi.

"How can that be?" questioned Megumi, while placing her right hand under her chin to think. "The Astronomy lab reported his star only disappeared."

"Don't believe them all the time, Chief. They do get things wrong, and they can never get an accurate location."

"Don't down talk them. It was a mess when they were shut down a few months after the Tokyo Explosion. I'm glad the CIA reinstated them. And don't call me Chief, Shoji. Just call me Megumi."

"That wouldn't be proper etiquette, and I know how you are about that." Megumi frowned. "Still, it's not uncommon for a star to disappear with the host dying."

"Oh, yeah? Name me one!"

"PO111."

"The rat man?" The rat man was a Contractor who could slide through small spaces, and his payment was eating live rats, dubbing him the nickname, 'rat man.' "He fell into a deep coma, which caused his star to disappear, and then he died."

"Still died." Shoji shrugged.

Megumi's jaw line tightened, stating to Shoji that he was testing her patience.

"Section-Chief Itashi," said a CSI agent. She turned on her heels to give him her full attention. "We found these broken pieces nearby. We'd figure you'd want to see them."

The agent held them to show a portion of a mask with a part of a lighting bolt crossing through a slanted eye. Megumi's corner lip drooped into a frown.

"I'm sure it's nothing," she stated. "HU999's power was electricity, and he probably thought he'd get the public to think he was the ghost of the deceased BK201 and scare them off."

"How can you be sure?" questioned Shoji, as he stood. "Maybe the ghost of BK201 had risen and attacked this Contractor. I mean, it fits. He was strangled with a wire, and there's that broken mask."

Megumi turned her head around with widened eyes.

"Now I can see why Commander Hayate chose me instead of you. Clearly HU999 was cosplaying as BK201 since he's wearing the same type of coat and clothing. Even the knives are the same. The thing that doesn't fit him is the scars, eyes, and goatee."

"Hehhh! Someone got a crush?" teased Shoji, having Megumi tighten her jaw even more.

Megumi looked back at the CSI agent, and said, "As soon as the body gets back to HQ, do an immediate autopsy. I want a full report on his blood screen and see if anything matches to the dart that we found. I got a feeling that HU999 might have been drugged to where he was stripped of his powers."

"What? Like what happened to BK201 before he was killed?" the CSI agent asked.

"Something like that, but not like that."

Megumi and Shoji headed down to the main floor where the other Foreign Affairs units were hard at work with counting the lost currency. An Asian man dressed in janitor clothes caught her attention. He had messy black hair, wore rectangular glasses, and had eyes that seemed to have swallowed her into the ocean. In a way, he looked like an Asian Harry Potter.

She also noticed he was hovering around one of the Foreign Affairs officers.

"Excuse me, sir!" she yelled. The Asian Harry Potter looked around startled, and then over at her, having him point to his chest with his thumb. "Yes, you! A word!"

The Asian Potter stood straight, looking nervous, as Megumi and Shoji walked over to him. Shoji looked a little baffled at why she wanted to speak with the janitor.

"Your I.D. badge, please," she said, as she stepped in front of him. The Asian Potter snatched his badge off his chest and handed it over to her. Megumi looked down at it. "Kamui Hizumi." She handed the badge back. "How long have you been working here?"

"A… a week," he said.

"And what are you doing right now?"

"Cleaning…!" he whimpered.

Shoji narrowed his eyes, as he knew what Megumi had on her mind at the moment. He didn't need to be a detective to figure that one out.

"Sorry for bugging you, sir," said Shoji, and began pushing her along.

"Oi, Shoji, I haven't finished my questioning!" she yelled. "Oi…!"

Shoji escorted Megumi out of the bank, and as they drew near the street, she pushed at his arms to spin around and glare at him.

"What's the deal?" she barked at him.

"You don't think I noticed you were flirting with that guy!" challenged Shoji

"No I wasn't! I thought he was a suspicious man and I wanted to get to the bottom of it!"

"Oh, really? Suspicious of what? Looking so hot?"

Megumi narrowed her eyes, and said, "Jealous?"

"Je… Jealous…? Of a janitor? Ha! I could show him a thing or two!"

Megumi smiled, walked off, and said, "Jealous!"

Shoji snorted and followed his chief.

In the mist of the crowd stood an old man in his seventies wearing big glasses, watching the two Foreign Affairs. He then looked into the bank to eye the janitor the woman had been talking to.

Xxx

The blond-haired woman strutted into a hotel with the bag over her shoulder, and blew a kiss at the clerk behind the desk while winking. He blushed and nearly tripped over his own two feet. He was a teenage boy with acne that made his face look like a crater.

She could make a guy fall head-over-heels for her; even the great Kuro no Shinigami would succumb to her charm. She stepped in front of the desk, making the clerk blush as red as her dress.

"Can… can I he… help… you?" he stuttered.

It sounded to her like he was going to pop just being in her presence.

"I'd like to book one of your suites," she flirted while leaning over the desk, and pressing her breasts outwards.

The clerk's face looked as though it was going to explode, as he stared at her chest, and muttered, "Ah… sure."

He began typing, his eyes fluttering over at her chest, and then gazed up at her smiling, which she half-heartedly returned. He was so into her that if she told him to jump, he'd do it off the highest roof.

"Ah… top floor… good?" he asked.

"Perfect, cutesy," she said.

"Cu… cutesy!" he chimed, and continued typing away. "Thirty thousand yen. Paying… paying by credit or fingerprint?"

Fingerprint was like debit, but it was quicker to deposit money and a person didn't have to renew it. Debit cards have been obsolete for ten years. Credit card companies wanted to do the same thing, but it had been too much of a hassle and continued using cards, but they were smaller and only had bar codes.

"Cash."

She pulled out two straps of cash and placed it before the clerk. His eyes widened in disbelief and looked up at her.

"Ma… ma'am. It, ah… its illegal to pay with… cash…" he babbled.

"I know, but that's all I have. How about we keep this between us, and you keep the cash. It's not illegal to put it in a bank."

"Ah… sure!" he smiled. He grabbed a keycard from behind him and, his hands shaking, handed it over to her. "T… top floor. J… just swipe your… your card through… through the de… device inside the… the ah… the ah…?"

"Elevator?" she finished saying for him, as she took his hand.

The clerk melted in her hands and passed out. She looked over the counter to see him lying on his back with a smile on his face, and a damp spot on his jeans.

She entered the elevator, slid the card through the device, and rode it to the top floor. The blond-haired woman entered the suite with the door closing, threw the bag on the floor, and began removing her clothes.

Once she was stripped naked, she began to stretch and perform in a martial arts stance.

Xxx

Megumi looked through the report that had been sent to her Blackberry 5.0. She scrolled through it, the small rectangular hologram zipping upwards from her flinging her finger upwards. She stopped at a paragraph and read it to see that the toxin inside their victim was a match to the toxin in the dart. However, to their luck, there were no DNA or fingerprints left behind from the killer.

They tried to identify the toxin, but that was a dead end.

She hated being in charge and wished Ryo was still alive. Megumi believed he would have figured out everything, and they would have had the killer caught by now.

Her phone began to ring. The ringtone was the opening part from Howling by the Abingdon Boys School. She picked it up to see it was her commander calling, hit the accept button, and watched her commander's image appear.

"Yes, sir," she said.

"_A word with you alone, Section-Chief Itashi,"_ he said.

"Yes, sir."

Megumi turned off the phone with the image disappearing, stood from her desk, and headed for the commander's office.

Why did he want to speak with her alone? Had she done something wrong and he was demoting her back to detective? Had he found someone who was better at the job?

If it was one of these things, why did she care? She didn't want the job in the first place. She'd prefer to be the follower than the leader; especially at times like these.

Megumi knocked on the door, opened it, and entered the small office. Hayate was sitting in his chair behind his desk with tons of paperwork on it. She closed the door and stepped before Hayate's desk.

"I'm sure you know it's protocol for us to report any unidentified chemicals to the CIA who sends it to New Pandora to have them test it," he said.

New Pandora was the same Pandora at Hell's Gate, but the CIA gave it a so-called new name to state to the Japanese and other foreign countries it was under new law, and that there was nothing to fear. However, it did no good.

"Yes I do, sir," she said.

"The toxin you discovered, it is a match to an old case that had happened a few months before the Tokyo Explosion."

Megumi winced, wondering where this was going since she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"Are you familiar with the case number ten, three, twenty-five?"

"The Moratorium who turned into a Contractor. Yes, sir. It was taught in the Academy, basically to tell us always expect the unexpected."

"Well, that case has more to it than what you think, Section-Chief. Twenty-nine years ago, before the Moratorium turned into a Moratorium, her father was experimenting with an unknown plant."

"The Harvest plant?"

"No, a different plant that lived in the Gate. The seeds on this plant could keep someone that was turning into a Contractor from turning into one. But the problem was that the plant couldn't live indefinitely outside the Gate, and it couldn't be grown outside it as well."

"Sir, as I recall, I don't believe the Foreign Affairs had this knowledge back then. How is it we have this Intel?"

"With the CIA having control of New Pandora and it's files, all types of info fall our way. But more to the point, the toxin you discovered, it has the same chemicals as the seed."

"So someone snuck into Hell's Gate, took one, chopped it up into a liquid form, and shot it into HU999's veins."

"You're two out of four right. According to the scientist in New Pandora, the person did chop it up and put it into liquid form, but they didn't sneak in and steal it. New Pandora believes it was grown."

"Grown?" questioned Megumi, her eyes slanting.

"Nineteen years ago, a scientist by the name of Daichi Matsui was found dead in his lab. It was believed that he had found out how to grow the plant outside the Gate, the same one that Kouzou Tahara put in his daughter to prevent her from becoming a Contractor."

"Don't the Pandora scientists think that that's too far fetched?"

"Don't you think it's far fetched that the Syndicate created the Gates?" Megumi frowned. "Anyways. I called someone in who is familiar to the case."

Megumi narrowed her right eye, and asked, "Whom?"

"You'll know. In fact, the person should be here now." There was a knock at the door. "Enter!"

Megumi turned around, her heart pounding at whom it was. The door opened to let in a somewhat built man with gray stylish hair, and a smile that Megumi thought wasn't necessary.

"Yuusuke Saitou reporting for duty, sir!" he bowed.

Megumi stared up at him with a "duh!" look. Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it be Yutaka Kouno or Mayu Ootsuka? Too bad Kunio Matsumoto had passed away five years ago.

Xxx

The blond-haired woman woke up late in the suite and entered the bathroom to shower. She turned on the hot water, picked up soap sitting on the counter to lather her skin, and shampooed and conditioned her hair.

Once she was done, she turned off the shower, exited the tub, and dried her body with a towel. The blond-haired woman draped the towel around her, took a hair drier and began blow-drying her hair. She picked and combed at it, and then wrapped it up into another towel. She then took a razor and started shaving her legs.

She always had to look her best fighting off boys.

After her skin was as smooth as silk and her hair dried, she slipped into her clothes. She stepped in front of the bathroom mirror to fix up her hair, and put on a thick layer of lipstick for another day out on the town. She grabbed her purse and the money, called for the elevator to step onto it, and rode it down to the lobby. Once she arrived, she noticed the clerk was the same from last night.

She walked over to him, making him blush, and handed over the suite keys.

"Have… have a pleasant… night?" he asked.

"Hm, the best. I never had slept like that in all my twenty years. It might have been better if I had a man."

The clerk blushed.

Boys, they were so easy to please. If she had let this kid sleep with her, it would ruin her night. She imagined someone like BK201 rocking her world. She was a dangerous woman, and she needed a dangerous man.

However, she most likely wouldn't let Kuro no Shinigami near her since he would have been in his fifties if he were still alive. The thought of something old and wrinkly against her body made her quiver. She always dreamt of the hot twenty-year-old schoolboy in his dark clothes and mask having his way with her. And then that Gackt signer coming in after Kuro no Shimigami was done.

If only dreams came true. Although, that would mean the boy would get a one-nighter with her.

"Have… have a pleasant day," he said.

The blond-haired woman smiled, pulled out a few more stacks of cash, and slid it over to the clerk. The clerk looked at it astatically.

"Consider it a tip for your hospitality," she winked.

The clerk took it like he had won the jackpot. The woman turned and exited the hotel with the bag. She trotted down the street to descend into a nearby subway, and purchased a ticket. She walked onto the platform as a train pulled up and opened its doors. She sat on one of the seats against the train's walls and set the bag beside her feet. The door closed to let the train take off.

A man sat next to her while setting a briefcase between his and her feet. He was a medium-sized plump man, who wore a blue cap and a black leather coat with blue jeans.

"We were supposed to meet last night," he said. "Where've you been?"

"Having a pleasant night sleep after a hard days work," she said. The blond-haired woman kicked the bag. "I picked up some loot in the process. It's all there."

"Stealing money is a bad thing since they have coded strips that identify where they came from. It takes time to overwrite these codes. You should have left it.

"To the point. You have another job. The details are in the case." The train pulled into another station and opened its doors. The man stood while grabbing the cash. "No more games, Sheila. Once it's done, meet at the rendezvous point at the exact time."

The man exited the train and disappeared into the crowd. The doors closed to allow the train to head off. She picked up the case to open it and saw her next target was another Contractor. Lucky for her, her agency had found a way to strip Contractors of their power so that the playing field was evened out.

Xxx

The clerk boy entered a bank that had its employees scrambling around with people wearing badges on his or her belts. He figured they were with the Foreign Affairs. The boy walked up to a male employee at a desk who was typing away franticly.

He looked up and said, "Can I help you?"

"Ah, yes, I would like to deposit some cash that a relative had given me," he lied.

"Sure, please have a seat." The employee gestured to a seat across from him. "Sorry for the mess. We were robbed last night.

"Oh! Sorry to hear that."

"Thanks. What's your name?"

"Yamamoto Tsu the second."

The employee typed away for a second, and then said, "Ah, there you are. How much did you want to deposit?"

"One hundred thousand yen."

The employee looked up at Tsu stupefied. "That's a lot of money for only cash!"

"I know. My relative is very generous."

The employee let out a huge sigh, and asked, "May I have the cash?" Tsu pulled out the cash from his coat and set it down in front of the employee. The employee's eyes widened, and then back at Tsu. "Your… relative gave you… this?" Tsu nodded. "Can you give me a second?"

The employee stood quicker than a bolt of lighting, and disappeared in the back. Tsu rubbed his hands together and imagined what he was going to buy with his new money. Maybe the Playstation Ten and a few games, or maybe he'd go to a casino the CIA let open in Tokyo and try his luck.

A few minutes later, the employee came back with a male detective beside him, pointing at Tsu. The cop pulled out his gun and aimed it at Tsu.

"Freeze! You're under arrest!"

Tsu threw up his hands in surrender. What was going on?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy Boxing Day, and Happy Hanukah to everybody.

Generation New

A Seed of Deliverance part two

Itashi Megumi and Yuusuke Saitou stood in a small room looking through a one-way mirror while Shoji sat across from the hotel clerk in the interrogation room. Megumi had her arms crossed with her jaw line set evenly, as Saitou smiled with his hands behind his back and rocking on his heels.

Megumi thought it was a bad idea to pull Saitou out of retirement to assist them in the case. She knew he wouldn't be that much help in the investigation, but the orders had come from the CIA themselves. They never liked it when someone was messing around with new toys in their backyard.

"Why did you steal the money after killing HU999?" Shoji asked the boy.

When he was brought in for the crime, she became suspicious of the whole thing. To her, it didn't feel like things fit.

"I didn't do anything!" the boy cried. "My relative gave me the cash!"

"What's your relative's name?" Shoji asked.

The boy fell silent, as though afraid to speak and get someone else into trouble. If anything, a person would blabber a name just to get the spotlight off them.

"All right, lets try something else," continued Shoji. "What did you do with the rest of the money?"

"The… rest of the… money…?"

"You returned one hundred thousand out of one hundred million yen."

"ONE HUNDRED MILLION! SHE HAD ONE HUNDRED MILLION YEN?"

"Who's she? Your relative?"

The boy fell silent again.

Having enough of this cat and mouse crap, Megumi stormed into the interrogation room, slammed her palms down before the boy, and glared devilishly into his eyes. The boy cringed and bent back slightly. Saitou entered seconds later.

"Obviously you didn't steal or kill someone," she said. "You're not athletic to scale down into a bank, nor are you able to take down a skilled Contractor, but you are lying to us about who gave you the cash.

"Since it's illegal to pay with cash due to counterfeiting laws, and you deleting footage from the cameras, I'm betting a woman gave you the money under the table so that she could have a good nights sleep. I'll let that go if you can tell us whom the person looked like."

"Ah… ah… hot, for one thing," stuttered the boy. "Hotter than you, old lady."

Megumi's eyes widened, and said, "How old do you think I am?"

"Thirties."

"I'm only twenty-five!"

"Still old."

"And I bet you I could out show those loli girls you drool over every night a thing or two!" Shoji looked up at Megumi with his right brow arched in curiosity. She ignored him. "How old was the girl and what was the color of her hair?"

"Eighteen, I think. She had blond hair."

Megumi pulled away from the boy to give Shoji her attention, and said, "Get a sketch artist in here to work with him."

Shoji nodded and stood to leave the room. Megumi also left with Saitou on her six.

"Well played, Chief," said Saitou.

"Elementary, Saitou-san," said Megumi. "I'm sure you figured that out as well."

"Eh… yeah… I knew it all along."

Megumi knew he was lying. He maybe loyal as everybody had said, but she wanted someone smart and fast on his or her feet, and could figure out a simple puzzle. She had to deal with him for a limited time, so she made the best of it.

"I'm sure your mother is proud of you," he said, making Megumi shift her eyes up at him, and then away.

"Yeah, she is, Saitou-san."

"You don't have to call me san, I'm fine with you just calling me Saitou. I find it weird my Chief calling me that."

"Eh, sure."

"It was something else back then. Chasing after Contractors and the public didn't know of their existence. Moratoriums were a menace. Very destructive. I still can't believe one actually became a Contractor."

Megumi and Saitou entered the main office and sat at their desk with Saitou across from her.

"How did Section-Chief Kirihara Misaki take it?" she asked.

Saitou glanced over at Megumi baffled. She wasn't surprised with his reaction after she had said Kirihara Misaki's name since Misaki was a touchy subject with him. When she married someone else, Saitou became slightly distant, and occasionally he would meet her: mostly at banquettes.

Megumi remembered being with her mother at one when she was a kid, and she could recall Saitou hiding out at the other side of the room. Everybody knew the truth about Saitou, but Kirihara Misaki was blind at his true feelings.

Maybe that's why she thought he was so loyal.

Megumi's mom had gone over to ask him if everything was all right, but he had stated everything was fine.

"Eh, all right, even though BK201 was involved," said Saitou. "She was a tough woman. Still is. She spent most of her young career chasing after him. She even joined Section Three just to be close to him."

"So I heard," said Megumi. "She almost got herself killed because of it."

Xxx

Sheila sat in a lobby wearing brown mammoth-rounded sunglasses with her purse next to her looking through a vogue magazine and waiting for her target to leave his room. She had been waiting all day, and she was getting impatient.

Finally, after waiting another twenty minutes, her target showed. He was tall, skinny, and somewhat built. He wore a loose long sleeve white shirt, camouflage pants, military issued boots and a hat. He also had an item on him that her agency wanted.

He exited the building with Sheila grabbing her purse to follow, and blended in with the crowd. Although, he didn't do too much blending since he was so tall. It made it easier for Sheila to track him and wait for him to turn down a side street or something where there weren't a lot of witnesses.

However, she herself didn't realize a man, wearing a white button up shirt, blue jeans, black shoes and a blue baseball cap, was following her. He had his hands in his pant's pockets, keeping his hidden keen eyes on her.

The tall man traveled down a flight of stairs to enter the subway. Sheila copied his routine while trying to keep a safe distance, and followed him onto the train. The tall man stood in the mist of everybody while she sat a few rows back in an aisle seat. The baseball cap man entered another compartment while standing and taking a hold of a hand rail overhead.

The train took off to start rocking the commuters. Sheila kept a keen eye on her prey to make sure he didn't make any sudden move or show any suspicion of being followed. He occasionally gazed around or looked over his shoulder, making her look inconspicuous by pretending to roam through her phone.

The train pulled into the next station and opened its doors to let the tall man and other commuters off.

Sheila stood to tail her prey along the underground stores, as did the capped man. She hoped her target would find a more subdued place soon. Sheila wanted to kill him and be on her way. She had so much she wanted to do on a nice sunny day as today. Maybe she'd hit the clubs tonight and take home a cute guy.

He entered one store and walked towards the back where a short man stood waiting.

Sheila stopped at the front of an aisle and pretended to fish through different Pocky and other candies. As for the capped man, he stepped before a stand outside to pretend looking through a Fool's Mate magazine.

"We have a problem," said the short man. "Our money budget took a dump. One of our agents was killed last night."

"We got a bigger problem," said the tall man. "I'm being followed."

Knowing the jig was up; Sheila pulled out her dart gun from her purse, and aimed it at her prey. Before she could fire a round, the tall man highlighted in blue, and placed his hand on the floor to shoot up a dozen dirt spikes towards her. Sheila rolled out of the way while the store clerk was met with an untimely ending, as spikes pierced his body.

Sheila peeked over the aisle to see the tall man fire another blaze of spikes, destroying a shelf to have candy flying throughout the store, and forcing her to run to her right. She took aim at the Contractor, but quickly withdrew it to run to her left to avoid a third batch of spikes while it demolished the shelf and its items. She had to somersault over the first batch as a forth wave came at her. She rolled on the ground to come up to a kneeling position, aimed her dart and shot it to pierce the tall man's neck. She smiled, but withdrew it as the short man came up beside her to point a gun at her head.

"Game over," he stated. "Before I put a bullet in your pretty head, tell me who you work for and where's our money."

"What makes you think I know?" she asked while raising her hands.

The Contractor grabbed the dart, threw it to the ground to have some blood spew from his neck, and stomped on it.

"Call it a hunch," stated the short man.

She pursed her lips while nodding, and then, in a split second, disarmed the short man to put a bullet in his head. The Contractor looked on startled, and began calling on his power, but found out it wasn't working. Sheila smiled while aiming the gun at him, and put a few rounds in his chest to have him fall backwards dead.

She bent down, wiped the gun on the short man's shirt, and placed it in his hands. She then began frisking the tall man, and found an old USB port in his pant's pocket. She placed it in her cleavage and then stormed out of the small store.

The baseball cap man closed the magazine to return it to the shelf, placed his hands in his pockets, and followed his prey.

Xxx

Saitou, Sakura, and Megumi were hard at work at their desk trying to get more information on the woman. They checked surveillance holograms that were in the neighborhood, but they couldn't get a clear look. They had put out an APB on a blond woman walking around the streets of Japan in a red Chinese dress, but that was almost a quarter of the population.

Shoji exited the back and sat next to Megumi while handing over the sketch. She looked at it to see the woman was beautiful, and no wonder why the acne kid fell in love.

"I sent that out to all units to keep an eye open," he said. "Hopefully we can get a lead soon."

"What about the kid? You release him?" Megumi asked, as she looked up at him.

"Twenty minutes ago. I bet you two hundred yen he doesn't have a job. Megumi, did you really mean what you had said to the boy? About showing him a thing or two?"

Sakura and Saitou pulled their eyes away from their work to get a better listen to Megumi and Shoji's conversation. Megumi fixed them a devilish glare that told them to get back to work, which they did, and then returned her attention to her other colleague.

"Why? You want a go with me? Not on your life."

"Figured you say that. I just thought you weren't deflowered yet."

Megumi's jaw line tightened, and said, "I've been deflowered since college, thank you very much. Now get back to work!"

Shoji sat next to Megumi to catch up on his work. The four members were quiet, as they fished through the information they had gathered to try and put the pieces together.

Megumi continued searching through video footage to see if she could get a better angle while Shoji tried to clean other ones up. Saitou took phone calls about women that fit the description sending units to check them out, and Sakura kept a line open with the Astronomy lab for any activities.

Throughout the whole process, something seemed to bug Shoji.

Unable to let it go, he bent over to whisper to Megumi, "Can you at least tell me some of your moves?"

"Oh, just give it a rest!" she barked.

Shoji sighed and continued working.

Moments later, Sakura became ecstatic while talking with the Astronomy lab, and hung up the phone.

"Chief, the Astronomy lab just reported that RT213 was active near the old Imperial Palace," she said. "And now they said his star had disappeared."

"What?" Megumi yelled.

"Chief! I just got a report that there's a woman with that description in the same area," shouted Saitou. "Also, apparently she was seen leaving a store that had three dead bodies. One they believe might be a Contractor. By the sound of it, it has to be RT213."

Megumi stared on loss for words. They had found their woman and perhaps a chance to find out how the plant's seed was created.

"Shoji, Saitou, you're with me!" she ordered. "Sakura, keep us posted on the details."

"Yes, Chief," nodded Sakura.

Megumi, Saitou, and Shoji stood from their desk to descend into the garage. They entered the maize car that Megumi had gotten back from the shop, with Shoji taking the back, and Saitou settling in the passenger seat, while Megumi sat behind the wheel to program the address into the GPS.

She removed the TCS, pulled out of the parking spot, and headed onto the main road with her siren blazing.

They reached their destination in minutes, exited the car, and headed into the subway where two other detectives were waiting.

"Which way did she go?" Megumi asked the man in charge.

"Witnesses say they saw her get on another train heading towards Tokyo Tower," he said. "We tried to get the train's main operator to shut it down, but he refused, saying he had a business to run."

"Have you placed him under arrest for interfering with police?"

"Yes, Ma'am, and he's not happy. He's already called his lawyer."

"Unfortunately, that's not going to save his skin. You and your partner got things here?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

Megumi stepped away from the officer while pulling out her phone to dial Sakura's number. Her image appeared before Megumi within seconds.

"_Yes, Chief," _she said.

"Our suspect got away," said Megumi, and then gave the directions. "See if you can find where she got off."

"_On it." _Sakura started typing and scrolling through files. _"We got a name on her. Sheila McFarlane. An English girl who disappeared from her home seven years ago at the age of thirteen."_

"So that makes her five years younger than me." Megumi whispered to herself, remembering the acne kid saying she was eighteen-ish.

"_Sorry, Chief, I didn't catch that?"_

"It's nothing. Anything on where she got off yet?"

"_No… wait! Got her! She's not too far from Tokyo Tower."_

"Got it! Thanks Sakura."

Megumi hung up the phone and gestured for her team to head back to the car. They entered it, taking their spots as last time, and headed for Tokyo Tower.

Xxx

Sheila waited for cars to pass before she ran across the street to head into a park near Tokyo Tower. Trees obstructed most of the sky's view, which formed dirt patches amongst the grassy terrain. Throughout the years, city workers had to come out and either trim tree branches, or cut down them due to room. A hillside with a walk trail ran along a rocky brook.

Her contact from earlier was standing near the brook, still wearing his blue cap.

The man in the white shirt and blue baseball cap, figuring it was unsafe to venture any further, watched from across the street while leaning up against a building.

Sheila stepped beside her contact, took out the USB port to hand it over, and said, "It's done."

"So is your career with us," he said and then stuck something in her side.

She flinched from the pain and looked down to see her blood soaking her dress. She cupped it, and then stared at her former colleague in disbelief.

"You brought too much attention to yourself. The boy you flirted with gave a description of you. And then your little foul up tailing your latest target.

"Don't worry. The poison will erase your memory and kill you fast enough so that the Foreign Affairs can't save your life."

The slightly plump man left the park unnoticed, except by the baseball cap man. Sheila struggled to get her bearings, and then fell into the brook to startle people gathered around. They looked on shocked, as the brook turned crimson red.

Three people had stormed into the park to gather around her and checked on her condition. One of them was a female.

"She's been poisoned!" the woman said.

Sheila thought she was pretty, as pretty as the woman who had hunted down BK201 for years. She was jealous of her, which made her jealous of this woman.

"Who is your employer?" the woman asked. "Please tell me!"

How dare this woman ask her that! Why would she tell her such a trivial thing? It made no sense. She would rather die than give a beautiful woman like her any information.

What information? Who was she again, and what was she dying for? She didn't want to die.

"Help me, please!" she pleaded

However, it did no good, as she felt her life that seemed like only seconds slip away and died.

Xxx

Megumi cursed at losing her only lead to an illegal agency. She had never been so close to something, and now it was gone with a snap of a finger.

Saitou bent down before Sheila, and before he could give her mouth-to-mouth, Megumi pulled him away. He looked at her dumbfounded.

"Didn't I say she was poisoned!" she stated. "If you give her CPR, you might get poisoned as well."

"Oh, sorry, Chief," apologized Saitou.

"Stay with the body. Shoji, follow me. The killer might be still around."

Megumi and Shoji stormed out of the park, looked to their right, and then to their left. They didn't see anything out of the ordinary. People were flocking towards the park to see what the ruckus was about: except a man in a white shirt and a blue baseball cap.

She began to head to her left up the hill towards Tokyo Tower with Shoji following while pushing people out of her way.

"You there, sir!" she shouted. "You, with the blue cap! Can I have a word with you!"

The man in the white shirt flinched, as a plump man in a blue cap stopped in front of a fence line, turned around while looking suspicious, and pulled out a gun to aim it at her. The man in the white shirt ducked while Megumi and Shoji took cover behind a car as two shots were fired. Commuters in the area screamed and headed off into different directions. The plump man fired again, hitting and killing an innocent man.

"GET DOWN!" screamed Megumi.

She and Shoji stood from behind the car and fired two shots of their own. One of Megumi's bullets hit the plump man in the stomach, making him flinch and run through the tower's entrance.

Megumi and Shoji stepped away from the car with Megumi checking on the baseball cap man.

"You all right?" she asked him. Keeping his head down, he nodded. "Good! Stay down!"

He nodded again while trying to hide his face from her.

Megumi and Shoji ran into Tokyo Tower's banked parking lot, and then exited to hide behind the fence line as more bullets soared at them. She peeked in to see tourist running and screaming in terror.

Tourist buses and other vehicles were parked along the sloped hill with the tower at the bottom of it. As she scanned the area, she spotted the plump man running behind the buses.

She and her partner ran towards it.

Once they reached it, they placed their backs against the bus, and turned around it to point their guns at an old man wearing a yellow tourist hat, U-shaped glasses, a white t-shirt with dozen's of buttons, and brown shorts.

"WO! Don't shoot!" he pleaded, as he peed his pants.

Megumi frowned and motioned for the old man to leave. He did so, allowing Shoji and Megumi to continue their hunt. As they departed, the old man straightened out his composure, frowned, and placed his hands in his pockets as he scurried off.

They scanned around another bus, saw nothing, and headed down to the next. Once they reached it, Megumi peeked down it and saw the plump man leaning against a bus holding his side. Megumi and Shoji moved before him while training their gun on him.

"Hands up!" demanded Megumi.

The plumped man looked towards them, revealing his whole stomach was doused in his blood. She looked at him in disbelief since she knew her bullet shouldn't have caused so much blood.

"Help… help me!" he pleaded while falling to his knees. "Please…!"

The plumped man fell forward to lie in his own blood. Megumi cautiously walked up to him, and checked for a pulse to see he had passed on. She then noticed a huge stab wound on his left side.

"The old man!" she shouted.

"What?" Shoji questioned.

Megumi ignored him and ran out of the clutter of buses. She then began roaming around the frantic people, hoping to see someone out of place, but she saw nothing.

She threw up her arms in defeat and sighed.

Shoji came up to her, and said, "What's going on?"

"The old man! He was involved!"

"Megumi, don't jump to conclusions!"

"I'm not! I just happened to be at another dead end. With that guy dead, I've got noth…! Wait!" She rolled her eyes. "I'm so stupid! M.E!"

Xxx

Megumi stood before Hayate the day after their big bust. It seemed they were able to get the location of one of the illegal agencies with M.E. and gather them up. However, that was one out of so many.

"Good work, Section-Chief," said Hayate. "I'm pleased with your performance these past few months. Two cases solved."

"Thank you, sir, " bowed Megumi, "but I only solved one since we still don't know who killed Ryo's killers."

"If that's the way you see things, then your last case isn't completely solved either."

"Sir?"

"From what we gathered through M.E., the guy that was killed at Tokyo Tower had gathered a USB drive from Sheila, but we didn't find one on him. More to the point, we didn't get a good look at his killer."

Megumi was lost for words. The old man seemed to be more than an old man. She would have to keep a sharp eye out for him.

"What about the man in the white shirt and blue cap you mentioned?" Hayate asked. "Have you located his where-about?"

Megumi sighed, and said, "No. We couldn't get an image of him off of cameras since he kept his face hidden. From what we had gathered by holograms, he had been following Sheila."

"Hm… interesting! In any case, this case is closed for now."

"If that's the case, sir, I take it that Saitou-san will be retiring again."

"No, he won't. I asked him to stay on so he could fill up the void we have in our unit."

"WHAT?"


	5. Chapter 5

Generation New

A/N: Happy New Year!

A Doll of Marionettes Pleasure part one:

In a port somewhere in China late at night, a group of workers loaded coffin-length crates in the belly of the ship with a crane. The process was slow for their liking since the cargo was fragile.

On the deck, a short old Chinese man stood next to an English man barking off orders in Cantonese, pointing at the crate that was dangling crooked while being lowered through a square hole on the deck. More than three-dozen grates were stacked neatly below.

The English man tried to tell the man everything was all right. Apparently the old man thought not, as his face turned as red as the ships water line strip. He continued yelling while gesturing with his hands the difference of something leveled, and something crooked. The English man nodded his head in agreement, but assured him that everything was fine.

The crane continued lowering, the crate tipping even more, and then, due to the stress on one side, one of the wires snapped to have it whip around. The English and Chinese man took cover, as a worker on deck was struck by the line and thrown off the ship to splash in the sea. The crate swung on its last string, having the workers below the deck move out of the way before the line snapped to have it strike another crate, breaking both. Inside the crates showed two female Dolls lying still with hay protecting them.

One of them had silver long hair.

The Chinese man looked down to survey the damage, and then gazed back at the English man to continue yelling at him. The English man threw up his hands in a, "I don't know what happened," gesture, which caused the Chinese man to pull out a revolver, and shoot one of the English man's crew.

The English man held out his hands for him to stop. The Chinese man jabbed his revolver at the English man and told him to get it right, or he'd be floating out to sea without a boat.

The English man nodded, and gave the order to work more professionally. The men that were still alive started fixing the crane, and after an hour's delay, and a dozen curses from the Chinese man, they continued their work.

Two hours later, the ship was loaded and shipped off to sea. On deck stood a young Chinese man that wore a dark raincoat with a hood. He raised his hands, turned blue with his eyes glowing red, and opened a black hole to swallow the ship.

Within seconds, the ship came out into Japanese waters with Japan off to port. Once they were cleared, the young Chinese man released his power to extinguish the black hole.

The English man loved these teleportation tricks. If he could, more or less if it was allowed, he would have purchased a Contractor like him to cut down on his travel time.

However, this Contractor belonged to the old Chinese man.

As he pulled into the Yokohama port, he noticed the young Chinese man was doing the Macarena.

Maybe he didn't want one now since he remembered they had an obeisance, which he was glad that he wasn't a Contractor. It was embarrassing, and what boggled his mind was that Contractors thought rationally. What was so rational about doing something so stupid? He heard rumors that they melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, but there had never been reports of it: unless you count the Contractors that either aged old or grew young.

He docked his ship within the hour and began unloading the ship.

Xxx

In the early morning in Tokyo, an alarm clock was going off in an apartment. Laying in a futon in a small room, Itashi Megumi rolled onto her side to hit the snooze button.

She hated waking up early, but her job called for it. She wished she could get a hold of a Contractor that could travel back in time and tell her past self not to take the Foreign Affairs job. At least at her old job she didn't have to wake up at five in the morning to get ready and stay late hours.

Megumi still couldn't figure out how her mother could pull these feats of strengths and do it all over again. It was killing her little by little. She felt like she was going to be fifty at the end of the year.

Her alarm clock went off, making her hit the snooze button again.

She wished the darn thing would shut up and let her sleep. Nothing was better than sleep, besides sex. However, she wasn't with anyone, so sleep was her main priority. At least when she slept, she had pleasant dreams where she was having sex, but her darn alarm clock would occasionally ruin the moment.

She needed to find a man, but with her late work hours, she didn't have time to go out guy hunting. Work was so stressful.

_Howling_ started playing on her phone, letting her know someone was calling. She ignored it and figured she'd look to see who had called later.

The phone stopped, pleasing Megumi. However, it only lasted a few seconds before her phone went off again.

Cursing at it, she reached for it, hit the talk button, and shouted, "WHAT?"

"_You feeling alright, Chief?" _Saitou asked, as his image appeared.

"Yes I am! Why are you calling me so early in the morning?"

"_Early in the morning? It's almost nine?"_

"What?" Megumi looked at her clock to see it was quarter to nine.

She let out a load curse, closed her phone, and charged into her bathroom to clean up. Apparently she had turned off her alarm clock the second time. She knew her job was stressful.

Xxx

Half of dozen trucks traveled down the streets of Yokohama with the grates of Dolls in them. Things were going as clockwork. The Foreign Affairs should be getting word of a possible black market of Dolls, but it was unlikely they would find out where it was going down. Moreover, if they did, they would be too late.

They came up to a building to flash their lights before a bay door, waiting a few seconds before the door opened to allow them in.

The place had used to be a commercial building, but the first two floors had been stripped down to make it look like a miniature warehouse. Crates were lined across the wall and were stacked three sets high.

The vehicles parked two wide in three sets, allowing the workers to begin unloading and stacking the crates. A plump man came up to a truck driver who was holding a card scanner. The plump man put his card on it to have it scanned, and then removed it when the funds were transferred.

"Nice doing business," said the driver, and shook the plump man's hand.

Once the cargo was unloaded, the drivers climbed back in their trucks, and backed out of the building to head off. The plump man pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and had a cratered-face man that had a thick mustache, thick black hair, and wore a black suit appear.

"Senor Perez," said the plump man. "I have a new shipment in that you might want to see."

"_Any young girls that I can sell high price in Tokyo?"_

"Si, Senor Perez."

Xxx

Megumi stepped onto the Section Four floor from the elevator with her hair slightly damp and her clothes a little skewed. She straightened out her clothes and sat down at her desk to see if anything popped up for a case.

Apparently there was nothing, which pleased her. She was in charge to keep the ball rolling, and she would feel terrible if something had happened from her oversleeping.

"Showing someone your special bed moves?" teased Shoji next to her.

"Keep it up, Shoji, and you'll be finding yourself pushing papers," threatened Megumi.

"Megumi! My office!" shouted Hayate from his door.

Megumi stood, stormed into the office, and closed the door, as Hayate rounded his desk to sit behind it. He looked upset about something. Probably her being late to work, and he was going to scold her that the leader of the Foreign Affairs is always on time.

He was then going to most likely talk about how her mother was always on time, never missed a beat, and worked so hard on a case until her fingers bled.

"I found out some interesting news, Section-Chief," he said, making her gulp.

He opened his mouth to say more, but before he could speak, Megumi interrupted him.

"Sir, before you lecture me about being late, I'm sorry," she said, having Hayate slant his eyes peculiarly. "I know you expect more out of me, and I will do my best to be here on time every single day."

Hayate opened his mouth to say something else.

"And I will wake up as soon as my alarm clock goes off," Megumi butted in. "I'll even set my phone to go off."

"Are you done?" he asked, annoyed.

"Yes, sir."

"All right, first off, I don't care if you were late. I understand we work hard and late hours, so I expect tardiness occasionally. Just don't make it a habit."

"Yes, sir!"

"And as I was saying, I got a call from the Coast Guard about a ship leaving a Chinese port last night. It's not due to leave port for another week."

"What does that have to do with us?"

"That's what I had asked while you were in bed." Megumi gulped. "Apparently since it shipped out, it threw out red flags. Under International law, no ship is to leave any port without proper paper work, and it can't leave until the scheduled time.

"The Chinese Government pulled the footage from the port and noticed between ten p.m. to four in the morning, the video was turned off. One of the workers there was tortured until he talked, and apparently, he said the cargo ship is heading here with dozens of Dolls."

"Dolls? Black marketing?"

Dolls were valuable, not only for their specters and hunting things down, but they were also sold for prostitution.

"It would seem so, and here's the problem," said Hayate. "Since we're supposed to take care of foreign affairs, we are bound to deal with the situation."

"No doubt the ship won't pull into Tokyo. It'll be safer for them to take up port somewhere south. Yokohama, more or less."

Megumi felt a stinging feeling hit the pit of her stomach.

"I've already contacted the Commander there," continued Hayate. "She had said she'll meet you on the rooftop since I'm having you, Shoji, and Saitou fly by helicopter."

"When do we leave?"

"Now. I got a helicopter waiting for you on the roof."

Megumi nodded, turned on her heels, and exited the office. She informed her teammates of the news in which they gathered their stuff and ascended to the roof. On top was a black helicopter that fit four.

The pilot fired up the engine, as Megumi and Shoji took the back with Saitou sitting in the front. They fitted on earphones with mikes built into them and plugged them into a socket above.

Saitou looked back at Megumi, and said in the mike, _"You don't want the front, Chief?"_

"_No! I don't like the glass below me," _she replied. _"I feel like I'm going to fall out." _Saitou nodded. _"Pilot, we're ready. Take us to Yokohama."_

The pilot threw up his thumbs, pulled back on the stick, and rose into the air. Once they reached a safe altitude over the city, he pushed the control forward slightly to head for their destination.

Megumi looked down to get a birds eye view of the city, believing it was beautiful. She had seen a few other cities in a flying object, but this was the first for this city after living here for a year.

She was tapped on her shoulder by Shoji. She looked over at him, wondering if he was going to ask something stupid. To her luck, he'd ask if she had ever joined the mile high club.

"_Excited to go home?" _he asked instead.

"_A little. I haven't been back there in a while. I thought about visiting for Christmas, but work got in the way."_

That's what she kept on telling herself, but the fact was that she didn't know how she would be like around her mother.

When she was growing up, her parents weren't really the best of friends. They happened to hook up a couple of months after BK201's star had fallen due to her mother's friend. They seemed to hit it off, and spent some wonderful nights together, but there was a dark hole her mother couldn't fill.

They had nearly broken up ten months after getting together, but her mother had unexpectedly gotten pregnant with her. Her parents tried to work things out by getting married two months after she was born.

From what she could remember, her parents spent a majority of the time fighting. They had fought so much, at the age of eight; she was forced to live with her mother's father.

The fighting continued, and then they broke up when she was ten. Her mother got full custody and her father limited custody. She barely saw her father, and she was never told why they had broken up.

She had to find that out on her own.

"_So, ever join the mile high club?" _Shoji asked.

Saitou keeled over in his seat, as the pilot laughed, probably because he wished he could get one hundred yen for every time he heard that. Megumi's jaw line tightened, and dared him to say that again. She wished she had kept her mouth shut while interrogating that acne boy.

"_We're almost there!" _informed the pilot.

Megumi looked out the window and gazed at the city she hadn't laid eyes on in a while.

"_Home sweet home," _she said.

In the distance, she could see her old work approaching. As they drew closer, she saw someone in a blue suit with long brown hair that had gray spots, and a pair of glasses standing on the platform.

Megumi knew who she was.

The helicopter flew up to the police building to hover over it, whipping the awaiting woman's clothes and hair around. She stood in one spot with her arms crossed and kept a keen eye on the helicopter.

The pilot began lowering his aircraft easily, and touched down as light as a feather. Saitou and Shoji quickly disconnected their gear in order to exit the craft while Megumi took her time. Saitou reached the woman on the landing platform, using his hand to shield his hair from the whipping wind, and bowed. The woman returned it as she smiled.

Megumi could read her lips, as she said, "Good to see you again, Saitou."

Shoji bowed while introducing himself. She hoped he didn't say anything stupid to her that would embarrass her and the team.

The pilot started shutting off his engine and removed his helmet as she took off her earphones. He looked back at her with a smile.

"Just to let you know, I'm single, and if you haven't joined the mile high club, I'm free for the next few days," he said.

"Thanks, but I'm already a member," she replied.

"Does your boyfriend know?"

"Shoji's not my boyfriend. Just an annoying pervert."

"Well then, how about dinner tonight."

"Sorry, but I'll pass since I know it's going to be a long night."

Megumi hopped out of the helicopter to see her team had already gone inside, but there was still one person waiting for her with her arms crossed. She smiled and walked over to the woman in blue.

Even though she was in her fifties, she still looked beautiful with her slim figure she somehow kept while eating greasy foods. Her suit was well ironed, and her brown eyes still sparkled with spunk.

"You look well, Megumi," the woman named Kirihara Misaki said, as Megumi stepped before her.

"Thank you," Megumi bowed. "So do you."

"Have a safe flight?"

"As safe as it could be." Megumi smiled. "Find out anything about our cargo ship?"

"Straight onto work, is it?"

"Less talking means more work gets done. Your words if I remember."

Misaki smiled while pursing her lips, and gestured for Megumi to follow, walking side by side.

"The ship in question already docked and unloaded its cargo," replied Misaki.

"In one night?" questioned Megumi. "That's quick. Too quick for my taste."

They entered the complex to descend to the top floor where an elevator waited. The detective women entered to ride it down a few floors.

"And mine," said Misaki. "I think they got a Contractor to teleport them here since they knew they were going to be flagged."

"I'll contact the Astronomy lab to see if any Contractors with that power were active around that time."

"I already know. UY195 was the one behind it. Once we arrived on the scene, he teleported out of here. According to the crew we had arrested, UY195 was supposed to teleport them back after the cargo was unloaded. The reason why he didn't was because he needed to rest to move big things around."

They reached their level and entered the floor Megumi hadn't seen in months. The wall was colored in light blue with the windows near the back. Desks were shoved closely together, which gave little room to maneuver around.

"Yeah, look who's back!" shouted one of her old colleagues named Watanabe Katashi in the mist of the clutter. He had a handsome sharp face, was muscularly built to give her quivers whenever his shirt was off, and handsome brown eyes. "Missed us?"

"Mostly you," she smirked.

Another former colleague next to him named Suzuki Hachi glared at her devilishly. He had long silky hair, a sharp face, and a problem with Megumi that went back to their beat cop days.

Megumi ignored him to look for her team, and spotted Shoji and Saitou settling over at a cubical by the window

"What about the captain of the ship?" Megumi asked.

"He got away," said Misaki. "We've got an APB out on him as we speak. In the mean time, why don't you and your team get settled in, Megumi!"

"Thank you," bowed Megumi.

She headed over to join her team, as Misaki watched her displeasingly.

Xxx

The English man walked the streets of Yokohama, trying to keep a low profile, but it did no good. He didn't speak a word of this country's language, and everywhere he went, everything looked the same.

He knew where the agency he had sold the Dolls were, but since he was unable to read the signs, he didn't know which way was up, down, left or right. Maybe they could help him get his ship out of port and head back home. Although, he wouldn't make it out of the harbor before the Coast Guards sank his ship.

What he needed was a flight out of this cramped country.

He stopped as a police car came into view, making him turn away from it until it passed. Once it was clear, he continued walking down the street. An Asian man eyed him from across the street, and then walked over to push him.

He began to say a few words in Japanese, making the English man smile and continue to walk on. The Japanese man became furious and pushed him again. The English man threw his hands up in the air, stating that he didn't want any trouble.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder, making him turn around to gaze at a man who looked and was built like Bruce Lee.

"He said he hates Americans and what they had done to our country," the Bruce Lee man said.

"Well, I'm not a bloody American. I'm English," he said.

"American, English, what's the difference? You guys look the same and sound the same to me."

"As you and Koreans do?"

The Bruce Lee man looked angrily at the English man, and said, "What did you say?"

He drew back his right fist and socked the English man across the face. The English man fell to the ground crying in pain, as the Bruce Lee man and his friend started kicking him. People started gathering around and began cheering on the fight.

The cops that had passed by earlier returned, stopping in front of the fight, and exited their vehicle to break up the fight. Once the cops saw who it was, they arrested the English man, along with the Bruce Lee man and his friend.

Xxx

Megumi, holding a case file she had been looking through earlier, walked down a hallway accompanied by Misaki and entered a room with an interrogation room on the other side of a one-way mirror. The English man sat chained to a desk in the interrogation room alone while two police officers stood by the door leading into the room.

"What do we know?" Misaki asked the officers.

"He got into a fight and he doesn't speak a word of Japanese," said the officer to the right. "I never cared to study really hard in my English classes in high school."

"Nor I," said the other officer. "All I understand is 'Lawyer.'"

"I'll handle things," spoke up Megumi.

"Hold up, Megumi," said Misaki. "This is my department. I'll handle things."

"If you forgotten, Commander Kirihara, the Foreign Affairs has jurisdiction on everything, so it gives me authority to interrogate this man first. And if I recall, your English isn't that great. You can assist me if you like."

Megumi entered the room, as Misaki frowned and followed her to stand against the back wall. Megumi sat across from the suspect, flopped the folder on the desk, and opened it to scroll through it.

"I'm going to get straight to the point," said Megumi in perfect English, surprising the English man. "You're being charged with illegal smuggling into this country. The penalty is really severe, and it's ten times worse now that it's illegal to sell Dolls without a permit.

"But we can make it all go away and just deport you back to England if you tell us where the shipment went to."

"Tattletale? I'd get hunted and killed for it!" said the English man.

"If you don't, you'd get killed in prison by a bunch of Japanese men that are furious with outsiders."

"Either way, I'm dead, so why tattletale to delay the inevitable?" he shrugged.

"Point taken, but here's the thing. At least you'll have a better chance in your own country gathered with mostly Caucasian and African-Englishmen than in a Japanese prison littered with nothing but Japanese criminals. You'd mostly get a bullet to the head to make it a quick death in England than here where you'd most likely would get beaten to a bloody pulp and then die.

"If you ask me, I'd rather not feel any pain before I die."

The English man eyed Megumi for a few seconds, averted his eyes to ponder on the deal, and then looked back at her to say, "All right, but I want it in writing, and in English."

Megumi nodded.

Xxx

Marco Perez exited his car in the warehouse that was selling Dolls to show he stood as tall as Former President Obama. He wore a pink shirt under a black suit and had on shinny dress shoes and thick retro glasses that covered his whole upper feature.

He straightened out his coat and cuff links, as the plump man came up to him smiling.

"Senior Perez! Glad you could come," he said.

"Where's the merchandise, Huang?" Marco asked, as he removed his glasses, stating he wasn't here for chitchat.

"Ah, yes, this way."

Huang guided him over to a crate that was broken to show a girl with silver hair. Marco looked over at Huang displeased.

"I'm not interested in damaged goods!" said Marco.

"Oh, no! She's not damaged. Only the crate. I checked her out myself."

Huang opened the crate to show the girl had long silver hair and dressed in rags. She opened her eyes to show they were purple.

Marco smiled down at the Doll, knowing he could sell her for a very high price to the right bidder.

Xxx

Megumi and Misaki sat in a red car with white stripes along the sides, tailing a green car with Shoji, Saitou, and Katashi in it. They were heading towards the address that the English man had given them. A third green car that had Hachi and a few others of Misaki's men were behind them. They kept quiet amongst each other, feeling a little awkward.

"I'm impressed," said Misaki, breaking the silence. "Offering him a pardon. That was smart."

"I'm sure you were thinking of the same thing," replied Megumi. "That's why you jumped the gun on me."

Misaki didn't speak, making Megumi believe she had hit the nail on the coffin. Megumi guessed Misaki didn't trust her judgment still. Megumi wanted to work under someone who trusted her, which made her transfer to Tokyo.

"I'm sorry of what had happened to Ryo," said Misaki, hoping to keep the conversation going. "But I am pleased that you're all right."

"Thanks. It was more luck that I lived that blast."

Misaki smiled while she tried hiding an unsettling emotion. Megumi noticed it, wanting to ask what was wrong, but she held her tongue since they were close to their destination.

The two cars and the backup unit pulled over to let their occupants out. A black truck's back double door opened to let a squad of men and women holding rifles out, and swarmed up to the building to stand on both sides of the door.

Misaki, Katashi, and Hachi popped the trunks on their cars, and pulled out Kevlar vest for them, Megumi and her team. Once they were fitted on, they gathered behind the squad.

One of the squad men held a battering ram while another man held up three fingers. Once everyone was set, he started counting off his fingers.

Three… two… one…

The battering ram man knocked down the door and moved aside, as the rest of the unit filed in.

"Don't move!" shouted the lead squad man. "Hands where we can see them!"

Gunfire started going off. Misaki moved in with her gun at the ready, followed by Megumi and the others on her six. They quickly took cover behind some crates, as the squad men fired. One squad man hit an Asian man wearing pink pimped out clothing, as another squad man was struck in his vest to fall to the floor.

"I'm all right!" he assured his teammate.

Megumi stood to take three pop shots, hitting a chubby man wearing a hat sideways in his chest and stomach, and having her last bullet strike a crate behind him while he fell. She retook cover, as Misaki stood to fire, taking down someone, and then hid behind the crate. Megumi stood, and as she aimed her gun, a bullet struck her in her chest. She fell backwards with the wind knocked out of her.

Misaki's eyes widened and crawled to her side to check on her.

"I'm fine!" stated Megumi, as she fought to catch her breath. "The vest took the hit."

"Stay down!" demanded Misaki.

Megumi nodded, and struggled with the pain. She hoped she didn't have any broken ribs.

Gunfire continued to rain in the warehouse. Misaki kept on returning fire, making Megumi wonder how things were going, and wanted to join in the fight.

"Stop! We surrender!" shouted someone.

Misaki stood slowly as did Megumi while cringing from the pain. They spotted two bad guys dead and noticed four men with their hands in the air behind a crate with a female Doll. The squad circled the remaining criminals with their rifles at the ready, as Misaki, Saitou and her team searched the other crates.

Megumi holstered her gun, removed her vest to lift the left bottom portion of her shirt up to her breast and touched her side to feel it was sensitive. She was going to have to have that checked out later.

Shoji walked up beside her to eye her exposed skin and smirked. She frowned at him, knowing for a fact that he was trying to get a free show, and lowered her shirt.

"Pervert!" she said.

Megumi walked up to the four men with Shoji following her. The squad began to cuff the criminals' hands behind their backs.

"So who are the sellers and who are the buyers?" Megumi asked.

"Go spit, cop!" shouted a plump man. "You think busting us is going to stop things, you're out of your rockers."

"Maybe so, but I'm not the one who's going to spend the rest of my life behind bars."

"So why tell you spit?"

"If you cooperate with us, we could reduce your sentence. Tell us who your suppliers are in China, and hopefully you can get out of prison before you croak."

"Go spit! Like you can do anything in China."

"It's just as illegal to deport Dolls there as it is here. We can ship you back there and you can spend your time in their prisons. I heard it's a lot worse there than it is here."

"Go…!"

"Lee Yuhuang is the ring leader!" shouted a young man. "And we already sold a few Dolls!"

"Shut up you!" the plump man rounded on the young man.

"You go spit, Huang! I don't want to be in a Chinese prison."

"You'll be lying six feet under if you keep blabbing away!"

"Better than prison!"

Misaki came up to Megumi, and said, "There are fifteen crates empty."

"Which means there are fourteen Dolls uncounted for," finished Megumi.

"Oh, what great detective work there, Section-Chief," blabbered Hachi, as he walked up to them. "It's a good thing that that bullet didn't strike your head. We'd hate to lose your smarts!"

Megumi glared at him, as Misaki turned her attention to him, and yelled, "Detective Suzuki! That was uncalled for! You better tone down your attitude, or you'll be on the streets in blues again! Get back to work!"

Hachi pursed his lips, nodded, and headed back to his teammates.

Megumi looked over at the squad leader, and said, "You can load these men in, and take the young man to the interrogation room."

The squad leader nodded and gestured for his team to round up the prisoners. Megumi and Misaki exited the building to head over to their car. Misaki removed her vest to place hers and Megumi's back in the trunk, and entered the car to head back to the police station while the others finished up with the Dolls.

"You all right?" Misaki asked, referring to the wound.

"Think so," replied Megumi. "I still want to get checked out when we get back."

Misaki nodded.

"I'm impressed," she said "Two men to come clean in one day. You have matured."

"I've always been mature!" challenged Megumi, and then cringed from the pain. "Ouch! It's—it's just that… You just never gave me the chance!"

"You're right, I never did. I guess I was too protective of you."

Megumi met Misaki's eyes and said, "I'm not a little girl anymore, Mom. You can't keep on trying to protect me."

"I… I know, but I can't help it. When you have a child, you'll know what I mean."

"If I have a child, Mom," said Megumi while pointing her finger and raising her left eyebrow.

"Sorry. If you have a child."

Megumi glared at her mother for a few seconds, and then smiled while looking forward.


	6. Chapter 6

Generation New

A Doll of Marionettes Pleasure part two:

The old Chinese man stood on another ship in a different port barking off orders to an Indian man. He pointed to the crates lying on the port, instructing him to be careful with his merchandise.

"They're very expensive to replace," he said. "Stupid English man almost destroyed two Dolls. I killed one of his men, and I'll do the same to your men."

"Don't worry, your Dolls are in good hands," said the Indian man.

He motioned for his men to get to work. They started loading up the blue and white ship with ease, pleasing the old Chinese man. The Indian workers were quick at getting the job done with no hiccups. He wouldn't have to worry about having a heart attack or killing anybody to dispose of the body.

Or at least he thought.

Two hours into the workload, Chinese police cars came swarming into the port. The old Chinese man freaked out at the law enforcement, as did the Indian man and his workers. The workers stopped what they were doing to run off in different directions.

The old Chinese man glared up at the Indian man, pulled out his revolver, and shouted, "You double crossed me! You sold me out!"

"Wait, no I didn't!" pleaded the Indian man, waving his hands back and forth. "I swear to…"

The Chinese man fired a bullet into the Indian man's chest. The Indian man fell onto the ground, cupping his wound, as the Chinese man ran off.

He made it fifty yards before he was surrounded by the police force. He threw up his arms and shouted, "I did nothing!"

"Put the gun down!" ordered a cop.

Instead of doing what the police ordered, the Chinese man pointed the gun at the officers and fired a round to hit a cop, and then found his body being loaded with lead.

Xxx

In a rundown brothel in Yokohama, a woman in her fifties, wearing a red and expensive kimono, kneeled in front of a counter. A window lay before her with brown drapes that allowed the afternoon sun to shine through. She was pleased that she had new Dolls today. She had to dispose of her last shipment since they were getting a little warn out, and her clients were bored with them.

They liked the innocent look, enjoyed having complete control, and not having to worry about what the girls thought of their performance afterward. Ever since she started black marketing Dolls, her business had shot up dramatically. She thought it would plummet due to the fact that her clients would want something real, but it was the complete opposite.

She guessed these guys enjoyed those loli characters like Chobits, but she didn't care since she didn't have to pay any wages.

Her front door slid open. She stood and saw one of her best paying customers taking off his shoes. He was a plump, balding thirty-year-old married man. He came in whenever his wife didn't put out, or she had continuously complained about something. One of her Dolls was going to get roughed up tonight, but that just meant a bigger payroll.

"Ah Fukikawa-san, third time this week," she said. "And what a good time to show up. I just got in four new girls."

The married-man's eyes widened with excitement and followed the fifty-year-old woman into another room. Inside kneeled four girls that wore schoolgirl outfits and had different hair color: blond, brunette, red hair, and a girl with blue hair like Rei Ayanami from Evangelion.

He drooled over them.

They were young, which made them just the way he liked, and that much harder to choose. As he eyed them, his attention came back to the blue-haired girl. He had had fantasies of that character many times with his wife, but now he had a chance to make it come true.

"I'll take her," he said, pointing at the blue-haired girl.

"Oh, yes, good choice, Fukikawa-san," bowed the fifty-year-old woman.

She pointed at the Doll, who stood and followed Fukikawa upstairs. They walked down the hall, passing a few rooms, and slid open the last door on the left. Inside was a futon in the center awaiting them. They entered the confined room with Fukikawa closing the door and gesturing for the Doll to lie down.

She complied without complaining. This was going to be the best moment of his life.

He removed his shirt, dropped his pants while leaving his white t-shirt and Hello Kitty boxers on, and kneeled before her. The Doll stayed perfectly still, her eyes not reflecting any worries, doubts, or wonder what was about to happen.

He reached out to unbutton her shirt, but stopped as he heard the downstairs door opened.

"What are you doing barging in here?" shouted the fifty-year-old woman.

"Are you Pokimaru Yoko?" asked a woman.

"Yes!"

"You're under arrest for prostituting Dolls."

"What? Dolls? I'm not prostituting Dolls!"

"Your salary wages show you are," said another woman, "and the people who sold you four of them recently sold you out for a plea bargain."

"They're lying!"

"Really?" said the first woman. "I've seen enough Dolls in my life time, and I can tell the difference between a human and a Doll. These three are Dolls."

"Isn't there supposed to be four, Officer Kirihara?" asked the other woman. "I'm going to check upstairs."

Fukikawa stood, ran over to the window while forgetting his clothes, and slid it open to hop onto the ledge. He braced himself against the wall, looked down to survey the height, as cars and pedestrians passed by below, and believed he'd break his legs on the concrete.

He heard footsteps heading up the stairs, letting him know he was running out of time. He had to think fast.

Maybe he could scoot over to a pole and slide down, but there wasn't any. Perhaps he could jump onto a nearby building, but that was out of the question. He was only one story up while the buildings beside him rose ten stories or plus.

A door slid open, indicating the cop woman was on the second floor.

He decided it might be best to slowly lower his body down halfway and then fall the rest of the way. Maybe he'll only get a sprained ankle. As he considered his choices, people walking by noticed him and looked up to point at him peculiarly. A few schoolgirls laughed and pointed at his boxers while mothers and fathers covered his and her daughter's eyes with their hands.

Fukikawa started to squat sideways, took a hold of the ledge, and then he began slowly lowering himself down. He heard the door leading to his room open, making the man freeze while dangling.

"Where's the person that paid for you?" the other woman asked the Doll.

There was silence for a few seconds, as the plump man prayed the Doll kept quiet. Suddenly, a woman with brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a white shirt that was undone at the top to show some cleavage, peered through the window.

He freaked out and dropped like a stone, hitting the ground hard with a shooting chilling pain up his leg. Fukikawa ignored it and started to run off.

"FREEZE! POLICE!" shouted the brown-haired woman.

She hopped out of the window, jumped down onto the street with ease, and charged after him shoeless.

He started running across the street, causing the cars to stop unexpectedly while forming a backup. He reached the other side, squeezed between two bars, and headed down an alley to lose his pursuer.

Due to him being overweight and out of shape, the cop woman was right on him. He gasped in fright, forcing him to throw a trashcan in her path and have her trip over it so that the plump man could make a break for it.

He stormed into a building while closing and locking the door, ran through a kitchen with cooks and other staff members gazing at him stupidly before rampaging into a hallway, and then came out onto a stage that had a pole in the center.

A light shined on him, which made him put his hands over his eyes, and noticed he was in a bar that was filled with guys, as sexy music started playing.

Somebody in the audience sexually whistled, and sang, "He... LLO, Kitty!"

The plump man blushed, jumped off stage, and headed for the front door. He busted through it only to be closed lined by the cop woman. He fell backwards and hit the ground while knocking the breath out of him.

"Kind of stupid entering a gay strip club," she said, as she rolled him over to cuff him. "No place for a perverted man like you to hide."

"Come on!" he pleaded, as he caught his breath. "What's the harm in sleeping with a Doll? They're not complaining, or saying no."

"It's because they can't speak for themselves since they're not programmed to." Megumi stood him up, and guided him across the street. "It's like taking advantage of someone who can't give their own consent."

"But they're only Dolls!"

"Like I told a guy a little while back. If you want something that just stares, get a blowup doll. And thanks for throwing that trash can in my way. I just re-broke my rib, and I get to charge you with assaulting a police officer too!"

Xxx

Misaki, Megumi, and their team were gathered in the conference room at the Yokohama police headquarters. Misaki's team sat on the left side while Megumi's team was settled across from them.

"Twelve out of the fifteen Dolls had been found," began Misaki. "However, the last location was a bust." Misaki hit a button to show vans leaving an apartment complex in a hurry. "My team pulled up the license plate numbers and found out that they don't match the cars. No doubt the plates were stolen, and no doubt they changed vehicles by now."

"I got my team to check out the surveillance footage, and we got a hit on a face," said Megumi, who clicked a button to bring up a crater-faced man wearing a black suit with a thick mustache and thick black hair. "Marco Perez. A Mexican Immigrant that moved here to Japan just after the CIA took over at the age of fifteen. Due to the ruckus Japan went through for fifteen years in changing government development, he was able to build his own Yakuza clan with other Mexicans and a few Japanese that were promised a chance at liberating the Americans.

"The CIA had put him on their top list of candidates to take down, but since he never attempted any attacks on Tokyo yet, they ignored him."

"Mostly because the CIA doesn't have full jurisdiction out here," said Suzuki Hachi. "And a good thing at that. I couldn't stand the Foreign Affairs always breathing down my neck and taking our glory."

Misaki shot him an eye to state that he'd better watch his mouth. The officer stirred in his seat, cleared his throat, and straightened his composure.

"Anyways," continued Megumi, "we put out a facial recognition throughout the city, and we got a hit in Yokohama Chinatown."

"Oh, great! Chinatown," whimpered Hachi while rolling his eyes. "I should have guessed that one."

"Why's that?" questioned Saito.

"Because the drug cartel has risen over the past twenty years there, thanks to the Americans taking over Tokyo," replied Katashi. "The Americans were harder to deal with, so they moved their crime rage out here. The best place to start up at was Chinatown."

"So what's the difference?"

"With little Chinese influence," continued Megumi, "and Japanese cops not keeping an eye on things, the drug cartel rose through the ranks and took over Chinatown."

"I don't see how you didn't see this happening? Usually you would see things out of place in your town."

"Tsk!" snorted Hachi. "They were smart! Since we were learning English to deal with the Americans, it was no longer required to learn Cantonese. The bad guys took the opportunity to use that, and built their army right under our noses.

"Nobody in this department is or was stupid enough to go venture in there. Except your boss, Detective Itashi Megumi. Or, sorry, I meant Section-Chief."

Megumi eyed him, as she fought to keep her cool since she knew he was trying to get her riled up. He had been displeased that she had been offered the job at the Foreign Affairs instead of him. Hachi mostly blamed it on her fame thanks to her mom, and he was partially right.

"I beg your pardon?" bellowed Saitou, as he stood. "You got a problem with my Chief?"

"Saitou!" shouted Misaki and Megumi simultaneously.

Saitou looked at them dumbfounded, and then retook his seat. Misaki turned her attention towards Hachi.

"I wasn't joking about you running the streets in blues again," she threatened. "Say comments like that one more time, and say goodbye to your detective badge!"

Hachi pursed his lips in frustration, but nodded he understood the consequences, and let the meeting continue.

"We located him a few blocks from the East Gate," said Megumi. "There is a ton of other drug cartel in the area, so it could get messy if we attack head on."

"Wait, we're not seriously planning on charging into Chinatown? Are we?" questioned Hachi."

"That is the objective," replied Misaki.

His eyes widened and asked, "So what do you propose we do?"

"Start a festival," answered Megumi. "Or as the Mexicans would call it, a fiesta."

Hachi's eyes slanted.

Xxx

In a well-secured building on the fifth floor, Marco, wearing a robe, sat on a couch accompanied by two women in skimpy clothes in the center of a Mexican decorative room with a table before him. On the table were lines of cocaine that he and his girls had been snorting.

He was sick of this country and wanted to head home, but due to the never ending second Heaven's Gate war, it was a mess. If he had his way, and the manpower, he'd blow up all the foreign warmongers and take back his country.

He had other issues to deal with. It seemed that the local police had busted a few companies that had bought Dolls the past couple of days. He came to Chinatown in hopes of shaking off the cops since they were scared of this area.

Yakuzas lined the city, and if a scent of a cop were sniffed, guns would be blazing. If they had kept things even quieter for a few more years, they might have taken over the city of Yokohama, and he as their leader like Al Capone of Chicago.

Marco grabbed a Cubin cigar lying in an ashtray, placed it in his mouth, and stood with his girls following him into the bedroom. Inside it was a queen size bed with leopard covers, and a Jacuzzi before it. He turned on the Jacuzzi, removed his robe to show a Speedo bathing suit and a chest full of hair, and sat in the water. The girls stripped down into their undergarments and settled next to him.

He took a few puffs of his cigar before setting it in a nearby ashtray.

Marco planned on reselling his Dolls to a group of illegal agencies in Tokyo for a higher price than he had paid for. A lot of agencies were afraid of dealing with Chinese immigration, believing that they could be Government spies or other ignorant nonsense that wasn't worth mentioning. They would rather cough up extra cash to groups that they trusted.

It was fine with him, as long as he could make a profit somehow. He was scheduled to meet with a group here in a few hours.

Crackling sounds were embedding from outside. Marco exited the Jacuzzi to check out what was going on. He saw a group of people in Chinese clothes waving around fire candles, throwing around fireworks, and swirling flimsy and swirly flags. A puppet dragon was being led down the street.

These Asian people were hilarious with their cultures and festivals. He found them entertaining when he was younger, but now it was a nuisance. He thought the dragon thing was pointless, and the fireworks were just a show of sparkling nothing. He'd have some fun right now, head down onto the street, and use his favorite gun to have his own fiesta so that his victims would be having a nice siesta.

Without warning, the dragon's inside exploded out with a puff of smoke that immediately covered the whole block.

What was the meaning of this? He didn't recall such a thing happening in any of the other festivals.

And then it hit him. The festival was a diversion. For some reason, the Yokohama police force were having the balls to enter Chinatown and take on one of the many Yakuzas, but which group?

He picked up his robe to exit his bedroom while grabbing an Uzi, ran out of his office, and looked down from the squared balcony to where he could see the lobby floor.

To his discredit, cops started swarming into his building. His men turned to fire, but they were quickly picked off. Marco pointed his Uzi over the railing and opened fire to take out two of the cops. The cops that were still standing pointed their guns upward and fired. Marco pulled away from the edge until the firing stopped and returned fire.

His other men filed out of other rooms and joined the stand off.

Using the distraction, Marco busted into a fire escape staircase and headed upwards. He pulled out a phone, hit the speed dial, and said, "Get my chopper ready, and don't forget the Dolls." He turned it off and pocketed it.

The cops of this country were stupid. Did they think they'd get out of town alive? The other Yakuzas were going to swarm on them like a Tsunami.

Xxx

On the rooftop, the pilot, who was wearing a green jumpsuit, walked onto it while guiding the three Dolls to place them into the helicopter. One had short brunet hair dressed in a blue kimono, another with neck length blond hair wearing a red Chinese dress, and the third had silver long hair, purple eyes, and wore a purple dress. He sat in the pilot seat, threw on his helmet and gloves, and as he was about to kick on the engine, a wire wrapped around his neck from behind.

The pilot fought to breathe, as he desperately tried to slip his fingers under the wire, but it did no good. Within seconds, he suffocated and died. The unknown person released his hold on him, slipped out from the back, and picked up the pilot to hide him behind a vent.

The unknown person began to remove the pilot's helmet and gloves.

Xxx

Megumi, wearing a Kevlar vest and taking cover behind an over turned desk with Hachi, Katashi and Shoji, fired at Marco's men. She noticed Marco had run into the staircase on the fifth floor. She went to go after him, but was held up by Hachi grabbing her vest. She cringed from the pressure that was put on her re-taped up wound.

"Where do you think you're going?" he demanded.

"After Marco!" she shouted.

"Why?"

"We could put a big dent in the Yakuza drug ring if we get him!"

"But, I thought we were here to gather the Dolls and head out in that cloud of smoke that you know won't last forever!"

"Then you and Shoji get the Dolls while I deal with Marco."

"I won't let you, Megumi!" He held tightly onto her.

"Then I guess I'm making it an order!"

"You can't order me around!"

Katashi cursed as he retook cover, looked over at Hachi, and said, "Yes she can! You forget the Foreign Affairs has full jurisdiction here at the moment!"

Hachi grinded his teeth, and shouted "Fine! Get yourself killed! Maybe then I'll get your job in Tokyo!"

Megumi charged into the staircase as bullets whizzed by her. She could hear footsteps clicking above her, which made her look up to see Marco on the seventh floor. She pointed her gun at him and fired three rounds. One hit the railing while the other two hit the stair's concrete base, surprising Marco.

Marco pointed his Uzi down at her and fired to have Megumi jump back, as bullets pummeled where she had stood. He continued firing small bursts occasionally, and then stopped completely as he ran out of bullets. He then tossed his weapon downwards to have it break on the ground floor.

Megumi peeked upwards to see him heading upwards. She took a couple more pop shots, missing, and running out of bullets as well. She started heading upwards while removing her empty clip, and fitting in a fully loaded one.

He reached the ninth floor with one more staircase left to climb. Megumi took her chance and fired a few more shots, hitting the railing again, and the concrete staircase above and below him.

She cursed at herself for her poor aiming and shooting ability. Once she got back to Tokyo, she was going to spend hours in the firing range. Why couldn't she get that part of her mother's genes! Perhaps if she did then she would need glasses.

Marco reached the top floor to where Megumi took another shot and missed him by centimeters. He opened the door and ran through it.

Megumi cursed and hurried upwards. She still had four floors to go.

Xxx

Outside on the landing pad, Marco's helicopter awaited for him with his Dolls in the back. To his dissatisfaction, it wasn't running and the pilot was missing. He ran up to his chopper to jump in and fly it on his own, but stopped as he saw his pilot coming out from behind a vent.

He was wearing his helmet with its dark lens down, gloves, and a black coat with blue jeans on.

"What are you doing?" shouted Marco. "Let's get out of here!"

The pilot nodded, hopped into the pilot seat as Marco settled next to him, closed the doors, and turned on the engine. As the blades reached its maximum speed, the cop woman busted through the door. She aimed her gun at him, making him and the pilot duck, as four shots were fired to strike the glass.

"Come on! Let's go already!" pleaded Marco.

The pilot began to raise the chopper while the cop woman tried to fire another round, but realized she was out of bullets again. She ran up to it and jumped onto the railing to hold on. The helicopter flew off, having the cop woman hanging over the city below.

Marco smiled with delight, opened the door, and began stomping on the cop's hands. She tried to move them out of the way while still holding on for dear life.

"Just… let… go…!" shouted Macro between each kick.

He finally struck her hand, having her lose her grip, and plummet out of sight. Marco looked to see if he could watch her splat on the ground, but he saw nothing. He was disappointed, but pleased he would live to fight another day.

However, he noticed something wrong with the flight path.

"Where are you going?" he asked his pilot.

"No where you need to worry about," his pilot said.

Marco cringed as he recognized the voice wasn't his pilot's. The next thing he realized was the unknown man grabbing his robe, smacking his head on the dashboard, and then pushing him out of the helicopter.

Xxx

Megumi popped her head out of a pool that she had happened to fall into, spit out chlorine water she almost swallowed, and coughed out what she had while taking in a deep breath of air. She couldn't believe her luck. She wondered if she was a reincarnation of a cat that had saved its nine lives?

She swam over to the edge, climbed out and cringed from the impact she took on her wound, and sighed at being soaked from head to toe. It could be worse though.

She heard a shrieking sound behind her. She turned around in time to see Marco falling from the sky in the distance, and then disappeared behind a group of buildings. Staggered at the chain of events, she looked up towards the sky to see the helicopter flying off into the distance.

What just happened?

Xxx

The next day, Megumi stepped onto the landing pad on top of the police department.

Hers and Misaki's team had escaped Chinatown with two officers dead, and a few injured. They were displeased that they weren't able to get custody of the Dolls, and at a loss at how or why Marco had fallen from his helicopter. Because he was dead now, things in Chinatown were going to take a dramatic hit with power balances swirling each and everywhere. Megumi speculated that Chinatown was going to have its own little war for a while.

Misaki stood before Saitou, saying their final goodbyes, as the helicopter's blades whipped the air around them. Misaki held her hair out of her eyes while she and Saitou chatted.

He bowed and stepped away from her to enter the front of the chopper. Shoji was already waiting in the back. Megumi walked up to her mother with her hair and clothes whipping about.

"I'm glad you're all right," said Misaki, referring to her falling out of the sky.

"A little bit of acrobatic moves will do the trick," smiled Megumi.

Misaki forced one on her face, but it quickly vanished, as she embraced her in her arms. Megumi melted in it and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'll be fine, Mom."

"I know." Misaki pushed her at arms length. "You take care of yourself, and Saitou."

"I will."

Megumi stepped away from Misaki, hurried over to the helicopter, and entered it. She closed the door, and looked back at her mother. The helicopter lifted from the roof to head towards Tokyo with Misaki watching them until they disappeared.


	7. Chapter 7

Generation New

AN: Sorry about the mix up on my two stories. I accidentally posted chapter 27 of Past Disaster in GN. I'm so sorry! I don't even know what I was thinking! Crap, I'm such an idiot! I knew I was going to do this sooner or later! Just means I have check, double check, and triple check my work.

Pink Isn't Always Glamorous part one

Gai, still a private eye with more wrinkles, and surprisingly alive from chain-smoking, sat behind his desk with his legs kicked up on it. Outside was a clear day, but he couldn't tell due to his office doused in smoke from roof to floor. It was so thick that if someone walked in, he or she couldn't see four feet in front of him or her.

He puffed on a cigarette to the butt, smothered it in his filled ashtray, and lit another.

He wished someone would come by. It had been great that Kiko had left ten years ago, but since then his workload had diminished. He thought it would pick up from his conclusion that she was holding his talents back. Gai wondered what she was doing now. He imagined that she was stranded on the side of the street in Shibuya asking for yen.

Noticing his office looked like California's morning traffic highways commute back in the day, he stood and walked over to the window to open it up. The smog slowly began to file out to feed the earth's atmosphere.

Gai thought the scientists of these days and of the past were a bunch of hypocrites. He believed that they made up mumble-jumble about cars polluting the air, which made cars to be manufactured with electric engines, mandatory. Even now the scientists were pushing to make smoking illegal since they believed tobacco was damaging it.

The next thing scientists would start saying would be that cell phones were giving off radiation and causing the user to develop cancer. He wouldn't be surprised if they tried taking that away from people. He didn't understand the whole Internet thing, never joined Facebook, couldn't comprehend Twitter, and he was at a loss at the latest fad.

It was something about Fish, had ten characters permitted (whatever that meant), and one image upload. He thought these Internet things were spies using some type of cover, and when they had enough information about the world, they would take over it.

It wasn't like the old days where you took out a bundle of folders from a dozen cramped filing cabinets, and threw it on a cluttered table to dig for information. These days, you had to be a rocket scientist to use a computer.

Kiko had picked on him; saying that the reason he started believing he could solve cases without proof was because he didn't know how to file the evidence in the computer.

The truth of the matter with computers was that he could never find the on button. He'd spend hours hunting around for the thing, forgetting its symbol had a circle with a line through the bottom, and he would gaze by it twenty times.

His front door opened. A plump woman with pursed lips that looked to have three layers of lipstick, and bluish-purple eyeliner that seemed brighter than the sun, walked in wearing something that looked dead and furry around her neck. She had on a tight black short dress, which revealed too much for Gai's eyes, and a brim hat that had different types of bird feathers sticking upwards.

Gai stood quicker than his old body would have liked him to, and rushed over to her, pleased that he had his first customer in two years, or was it three?

"Welcome!" he chimed. "I'm Private Eye Gai. What can I help you with?"

"Hello," she began with. "I just moved in two weeks ago just a floor above you, and I wanted to tell you…"

"Oh, you heard someone in this apartment talking about how good I am at solving cases."

"No, I wanted to…"

"Oh, the people across the street told you about me?"

"No. I just came to…"

"Oh, I know. How could I not see," laughed Gai. "You heard about my good service on the news. Yes, yes, I'm well known in this city."

"I came to tell you to stop letting all your tobacco smoke out at one time! Since the AC is broken in this place, I have an old fashion fan on my window sill, and all your smoke blows right into my apartment and fills it up like California's highway!"

Gai's mouth dropped open dumbfounded, and babbled, "Sor… sorry."

The old lady turned and left the apartment. Gai drooped his head down in disappointment, and thought another one bites the dust.

He was about to sit back down at his desk, but stopped as a female entered. Gai snapped his neck around, almost breaking it, and drooled at the hot woman who was half his age with a rack that looked as soft as two pillows.

She also had some beautiful eyes, but he couldn't tell what color they were since they were hidden behind purple glasses, and luscious short blond hair that seemed to shape her face.

Gai thought he would need a diaper to keep his bladder in control.

"Can… what… eh… Hello, I Gay… my names Private Gay… I mean Gai. What… what…?"

"I came here because someone said you could help me with my case," said the hot woman.

"Yeah, sure."

"I lost someone special to me. He's sweet, kind, and never leaves my side."

"Did, did he… die?" Gai hoped, cause he was about to make sure he would never leave her.

"No, he ran off."

"What does… he look like?"

"Well, small, for one."

Small? As in down south small? Did she want him to find her special man from his family jewels? If that were the case, then he would have to do it. He needed the work anyways.

"He's fluffy, has fur as black as the night, has the cutest little ears, eyes that are yellower than anything else, and the cutest little tail ever."

He's fluffy, fury, cute little ears, yellow eyes, and a tail? Gai couldn't get an image of her lover: especially this tail. Was she again talking about the land down under?

"Do you have a picture of your beloved one, and his cute tail?" Gai asked.

"Yes, here."

She pulled out a picture to show her holding a black cat with yellow eyes. Gai eyed it; brought the picture up close to his face, and then away from him.

"Miss, I don't see your beloved one in here."

"The cat. I would like you to find my cat."

"Ca—Ca—Ca—CAT!" shouted Gai, hysterically, while dropping the picture, and doing a funky looking pose, as his skin turned white. "You want me to find your… CAT?"

"Yes, I had asked another private eye detective to look for him, but she was too busy with a dozen other cases, and recommended you."

"Oh, really?" questioned Gai with a smile. A woman that was a private eye knew of him. Perhaps he could join forces with her. "What's her name?"

"Some woman who likes to dress in pink."

"PINK?" questioned Gai, his image of the perfect detective woman disappearing, and knowing who was going to replace it.

"Yeah, I think her name was Kiko."

As on queue, Kiko popped in his head wearing her cosplay outfit with devil horns and a tail laughing devilishly while engulfed in flames.

Outside the apartment, as a train rode by, Gai could be heard shouting, "DAMN YOU, KIKO!"

Xxx

Across town in a well kept building on the forth floor, a woman, wearing pink with a nice rack, sneezed on her computer hologram. She grabbed a tissue, wiped her nose, and continued sorting through her cases.

Kayanuma Kiko had solved a majority of them, but there was one that was giving her a run-around, and since she was so determined at closing it, she sent the kitty case to Gai to keep her schedule cleared.

She had rid of the pony tails to let her hair hang loose but kept the bangs, and dressed in a pink outfit from another anime she loved. It was called Pinker than Pink, and it was about a male vigilantly who swung around on a wire, and fought criminals while helping the police force. The main character wore a hot pink coat, a pink shirt and pants, and wore a pink mask with a hat similar to Zorro's. When he wasn't dressed up, he walked around in a green coat, white shirt, and blue jeans.

She was on a case about a missing person who disappeared. He was an Italian man named Sylar Petrelli, a well-known criminal that had been released from jail over a year ago. He had been meeting with his parole officer on the dot until three days ago.

His girlfriend had asked if Kiko could find him first and tell him to turn himself in before the police force found him. She didn't want to due to the fact that she didn't take cases that involved criminals missing his or her parole, but when the girlfriend offered four hundred thousand yen, Kiko's eyes had lit up with yen signs and said she'd take it.

The one thing she found intriguing about the girlfriend was that she reminded her of Kirisi. Quiet, used short sentences, and didn't show a lot of facile emotions. Kiko figured it was her way of coping with her boyfriend's disappearance.

Her door opened to allow her big-breasted friend in. She still wore her usual clothes with her huge glasses.

"Anything new?" she asked, as she closed the door, and then walked over to a chair to sit before Kiko.

"No!" said Kiko. "This guy just seemed to have disappeared from thin air. I checked the surveillance holograms around his place and his girlfriend's place. Nothing!"

"I got something. I asked people around the JR line, and a few people had said that they had seen him waiting for a train. I asked a store clerk if I could see any of his surveillance holograms, and bam, there he was."

"You find out where he went?"

"Yep. He bought a ticket for as far as Shibuya."

"Let's go!"

Kiko and her big-breasted friend left the office, descended the stairs, and exited the complex to head for the JR line.

Once they arrived, they swiped their passes through the gates, walked through it, and headed up the stairs. They stepped on the side of the platform that would put them on the train bound for Shibuya.

As soon as the train pulled in and opened its doors, Kiko and her friend stepped on it to sit along the wall. They crossed their arms and legs, and waited for the train to depart.

Three minutes later, the doors closed so that the train could depart. The train wasn't as crowded as it should have been years ago. The train was still packed, but not to the point where people were pressed up hard against each other. People were able to maneuver around each other and have plenty of time to exit before the doors closed.

Since the Americans had taken over, businesses had diminished in Tokyo. A majority of shopping areas that had sprung open over the past two decades had been outside the city. There had been stores that were built and opened up in Tokyo, but it was only five percent of development compared to what Kyoto, Yokohama, Sendai, and other cities were seeing.

The train pulled into Shibuya.

Kiko and her friend stood to exit the train, headed down to the main floor, and began walking around the area. Before them was a fork in the road with the left side of the street heading up a sloop, while the right side was leveled out. The building in the center had a hologram on the top floor showing different things, like Kiko's current favorite show, a movie that was a nonfiction story about the events with Izanami and Izanagi, and Harry Potter and the Kids of the Chosen One.

They began to wonder where to start. They headed up the slope to pass a Disney store to their left that had closed and never reopened, a McDoness store, and an action figure store that occupied the center building. They moved around the commuters with ease, not like in the past where Kiko and her friend shimmied or pushed their way through. At times, Kiko's friend liked it this way due to her over grown breast since she felt she was cursed and deformed, and didn't appreciate men staring stupidly at them. To this day, she still got boys drooling at them, whistling at her, and calling her cougar.

They walked past a few more buildings; some boarded up, some still opened for business, and kept their eyes open.

Kiko noticed an Italian man to her right. She looked towards a small and short alleyway to spot a tall man with a bowl style hair cut, slanted eyebrows similar to Spock from Star Trek, brown eyes, long nose, and a sharp face that was unshaven. He wore a striped shirt with a loose tie, and black pants.

She grabbed her friend's shirt to redirect them down the alleyway that led over to the other section of Shibuya. The Trek man noticed his "stalkers," and headed into a music store that was slowly losing business to where it had to file for bankruptcy.

Kiko and her friend followed him in.

Four men in black suites across the street eyed the building. One of the men raised his wrist to his mouth, and began speaking into it. He and his other colleagues crossed the street, entering the record store.

In the mist of the crowded street, unnoticed to everybody's prying eyes, stood a man with a white shirt, blue pants, and a blue baseball cap. He lightly pushed the shoppers aside, and stepped into the store.

Inside the store, Kiko and her friend had lost sight of the Italian man. They scanned the first floor from aisle to aisle, but had no luck in locating him. They headed up the escalators that were up against the right side wall to see if he was on any of the three other floors.

Kiko and her friend spent five minutes searching each floor high and low only to come up empty handed. He was like Houdini! One minute he was right before them, and then he was gone.

The Private Eye detectives began to return to the main floor, and as they descended the escalator, she noticed the men in black gazing around looking for something or someone on different floors. Kiko ducked behind the escalator's railing, believing they were after her for tax fraud from two years ago.

She had lied on her tax return, adding one thousand yen on her file to get some extra cash she thought the Government had taken away from her.

As soon as they reached the first floor, Kiko and her friend began to sneak out of the store, but Kiko came to a halt. To her disbelief, she saw the white shirt and blue pants man trying to blend in with a bunch of other people near the front door.

"LI-SAN!" chimed Kiko. The baseball cap man's head twitched towards her for a second, and then he headed out of the store. "WAIT! I'm older now! You can date me!"

Kiko charged out of the store, and to her luck, he was gone. Her friend rushed out with her and looked at her puzzled.

"Kiko, are you all right?" she asked.

"It was Li-san!" Kiko yelled. "I know it was him. That collarbone! I know that collarbone better than the back of my hands! It was him!"

Kiko charged down the streets, looking for the man that she believed was Li Shengshun, and turned people around that had black hair and wore white button up shirts. A few of them were girls.

She turned a corner and ran into someone wearing a brown coat and a cowboy-like hat smoking a cigarette, and fell on her buttocks.

"Ouch!" she cried, and rubbed her bottom. She looked up at him. "Watch where you're going!"

"That's my line, lady!" barked the man.

Kiko glared at him for a second, whined while pointing at him, and said, "Gai! What are you doing here? Trying to steal my case?"

"Eh? Who are you?"

"Who am I?" Kiko stood and pointed at herself. "Kiko! Your former employee!"

"No you're not. You're not as flat-chested as she is."

Kiko's faced burned red, clenched her fist while holding it before her, and socked him in the back of the head to have his face slam against the concrete and crack it while smothering his cigarette.

"They're implants!" she yelled, as her fist throbbed red.

"Ouch!" he whimpered. "I take that back."

He stood while readjusting his hat, and relit his cigarette. He puffed out some smoke and glared at her.

"What are you and your friend doing here?" he asked.

"I asked you first! I'm betting you're pissed about the cat thing, found out what my case was, and somehow figured Sylar is here."

Gai ignored her since his attention was focused on her friend's chest, and said, "Eh, what was your name again?"

Kiko's friend began to say her name, but Kiko butted in, and said, "Don't beat around the bushes, Gai!"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kiko," he said, still looking at her friend's chest. "I'm looking for the cat."

"Oh, I doubt it. You don't like cats! You would have told the poor lady to beat it. And I don't think a cat would be hiding down her shirt!"

Gai was speechless as he continued glaring at her friend. Kiko burned hotter, and punched the back of his head again.

"Ouch!" Gai turned to face her. "What was that for?"

"You, being a pervert!" she said, as she stuck out her chest, as though trying to get his attention. "We'll sue!"

"Last time I checked, it wasn't a crime!"

Kiko sighed at his disinterest at her chest. It just proved that size does matter; at least with all the guys in Tokyo. She needed to save up her money, ditch Tokyo and her friend, and see what kind of action she could get.

"Eh, what were we talking about again?" he asked.

"The cat case! I don't believe you took it!"

"Oh, yeah! I knew that. I was just testing your mind." Kiko narrowed her eyes. "As much as I would have liked to, I can't. I have back payment to pay from five years ago."

"Five years?" Kiko slanted her eyes peculiarly. "How are you able to keep your office for the past five years?" Gai scowled while sweating heavily. Kiko smiled. "Oh, I get it. You're there illegally. You know, I could turn you in for trespassing on private property."

"You wouldn't!"

"If the price is right."

"PRICE? I can't pay you a yen! I have barely enough money to buy cigarettes!"

"Not money! I'll make a deal with you. I'll let you in on my case." Kiko pulled out a picture to show the Italian man, and handed it to him. "Here's the catch. If you solve the case and find the Italian man named Sylar before I do, I'll give you sixty percent of my wages, but if I solve it, I'll give you only fifteen percent."

Gai eyed her for a second, and asked, "What's the catch?"

"The wages are the catch," frowned Kiko with narrowed eyes.

Gai placed his right hand under his chin to think.

"How about eighty percent if I solve it, and forty if I don't," he said.

"Sixty, fifteen."

"Seventy, thirty."

"Sixty, fifteen." Kiko growled.

"Sixty-five, twenty-five."

"Six… ty… fif… teen!"

"Sixty, fifteen, ha, I knew you'd see it my way, Kiko. You'll be sorry."

Gai walked off with his head in the air proud at how he thought he had tricked Kiko into paying him a good amount of cash. Kiko's friend walked up to her looking puzzled.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked. "What if he solves the case?"

"Relax! He couldn't find his way out of a closet. Let's get something to eat."

"McDoness!"

"Nope. Homerun House! I don't want to miss Li-san!"

Xxx

Gai walked down a nearby neighborhood looking around for the Italian man. He figured it'd be a long shot, but it was worth a shot to see if perhaps the man lost Kiko and headed down a secluded alleyway.

He looked around for fifteen minutes, peeking over walls, searching in buildings, rumbled through trashcans, in sewer drains, and over bridges to see if anybody was hiding under it. However, none of his guesses were right. All he noticed were men in black suites.

He headed back for the JR line, but stopped as he noticed the cat that he was hunting for on a wall waving its tail while watching something. As if it could feel eyes on it, the cat looked back, saw Gai, and gasped to have it jump behind the wall.

Gai ran around the corner and saw it was gone. He began looking around the vicinity, repeating his actions like previously, including looking in the trash and sewers, and came up with the same results.

He decided to call it a day and headed back home. As he walked the streets towards the JR line, he noticed a man wearing a white button up shirt, blue pants, and a blue baseball hat. Gai eyed him for a second; figuring he had seen him before, and had a funny feeling he was a suspicious person.

"Excuse me, sir?" spoke up Gai. The cap man turned his head to gaze at him. "A word with you."

The cap man looked away and headed off while placing his hands in his pockets. His casual walk looked familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He followed the cap man, trotting to catch up with him. The cap man turned a corner in which Gai turned as well to see nothing but walls, trees, and an unoccupied street.

He felt like he was having a bad case of Déjà Vu.

Gai shook it off, figuring it was his imagination, and continued towards his destination.

In a tree hidden by the shade crouched a man with blue jeans next to a black cat, watching Gai walk off.

"Like old times," said the cat.


	8. Chapter 8

Generation New

Pink Isn't Always Glamorous part two

Kiko sat at the Homerun House, hoping to see Li Shengshun, but all she saw was single boys, couples, and an old man who looked like Bill Clinton eating half a dozen bowls of ramen. She ate three bowls of ramen, listened to her friend complain, and growled as guys stared at her friend's breasts.

Why didn't guys think she looked hot? She got implants so that she could get men to look at her and ask her out, but they kept on ignoring her and gave her friend their undivided attention.

The ramen store hadn't changed much. They still broadcasted baseball games, but with holograms now. Rika ran the business with her husband and son since her father retired five years ago.

A middle aged dark-skinned American man walked up to them to look at Kiko's friend, and asked, "What's your name?"

Kiko's friend opened her mouth to reply.

"She's a lesbian," bellowed Kiko. "Get lost!"

Kiko's friend frowned and glared at Kiko, as the man walked off with his hands in the air in defeat.

"What's the deal, Kiko?" she asked.

"Saving you," said Kiko, as she crossed her arms.

"Or you're jealous!"

"Me, jealous?" whimpered Kiko. "Not likely. I'm betting he only wants a one-night stand with you, and I don't want you having a broken heart."

"I don't care! I don't mind one-night stands! I've done it myself, and I thought Li-san was the only man for you?"

"He is, but if some cute guy asked me out, I'll take it, and if Li-san wants me, I'd dump the guy in a heartbeat."

Kiko's friend slanted her eyes, shook her head, and said, "You have some serious issues, Kiko."

After Kiko and her friend paid for their meal, they stood to leave the small restaurant. They walked past an old apartment that was once ran by Misuzu, but now it was under a different management after the old couple had died a few years back. The old couple had kept it up, but the people who had taken over it were letting the place go.

Foreigners were still renting out the rooms, but they were more vicious and didn't care about the place. They would destroy certain things, like the windows, and didn't have them replaced. The residence also had a basketball hoop with a torn net on the street.

It was also rumored that a blue-haired girl haunted room 201, which made Kiko's friend shiver whenever they walked by the place.

They entered the JR line station, swiped their passes, and headed up the stairs to hop onto the train. Kiko sat displeased while her friend settled next to her.

"I don't get it!" yelled Kiko. "I know it was Li-san. Why did he run off, and why didn't he show up at Homerun House? He wasn't there earlier either according to Rika! I feel like I'm in some anime where the writers can't get to the plot, wait until the twenty-forth episode to give us very little insight, and then leave us hanging with nothing to where we're pleading for a second season!"

Her friend tilted her head, crossed her arms, and nodded while saying, "I know! I hated what they did at the end of Maurice no Bara! To leave us with a cliffhanger like that. I didn't care about the stupid loli character dying, but did Maurice and the elephant die at the end?"

"You're right! I did let those directors hear about it, and then they sent a reply saying they're sorry! What were they thinking, saying they weren't making a third season?"

"Damn straight! Hopefully the same thing doesn't happen with Pinker than Pink. I really like Wei and his partner Ricardo. It's too bad Ricardo has to play deaf and dumb."

"But that's what so good about it!" chimed Kiko. "He can sneak into the cop precinct, listen to what's going on without Mizuki realizing, and then tell Wei about it. If he can't get all the info, then Wei plays the stupid Lee character and has her spill the rest. She's so stupid!"

"Oh, yeah! I bet you two thousand yen she finds out who he is before the season ends!"

"You're on!"

Kiko and her friend exited the train and headed for their office to watch episode ten of Pinker than Pink. As they entered the place, Kiko's friend said, "Are you sure we can call it a day? Aren't you afraid a little bit that Gai will find our man?"

"No more than Tai in episode seven and eight realizing Wei was the Pink man," laughed Kiko.

Xxx

Gai sneezed, falling backwards on his chair, and making a crash landing on the floor. He stood, repositioned his chair, and retook his seat.

He knew there was something about sneezing, but he couldn't remember. He figured it had to do with something about talking behind someone's back, but he believed he was wrong since it sounded so trivial. He talked behind Kiko's back all the time, and he never saw her sneeze.

He let that go and thought about the man in the white shirt.

Gai had checked his memory long and hard, trying to remember where he had seen the man, but nothing popped up. He figured it was a figment of his imagination, or a dream he had had in his youth. Either way, it was probably nothing.

However, as he tried to piece the puzzles, a black cat with a red collar, and a major headache that made him rub his forehead, popped into his head.

He grabbed a pack of his smokes and lighter, pulled out a cigarette to light it, and threw the pack and lighter on his desk while leaning back. He puffed out smoke as his attention was focused upwards. Gai wished he could push it aside, but every time he swat it away it kept on returning like an annoying fly.

Gai needed to get his head out of the clouds and figure out where Sylar had run off. If he were the criminal, he'd be on the next plane out of Japan. He picked up his phone to call the airport, but realized he didn't have a working phone line. Plus, it was out of date. He didn't get the whole hologram thing. Whenever he was on the phone, he wanted to make sure the person on the other line couldn't see the faces he was giving.

Technology was going to be everybody's down fall one day. He challenged any living being to give up his or her phone, and bet they couldn't go an hour without it. People relied on it too much. If they got lost, all they did was open up their phones and let that GTS, RPS, GPO, LOL, ROTFLMAO, or whatever they called it to get them out of the mess they were in.

Whenever Gai got lost, he relied on his gut's instincts to get him home. He could show a young whippersnapper how to get from Shibuya to Tokyo Tower without the JR line.

There was a knock at his door. It opened to show a girl with a blank look wearing a western violet dress with white decorative sleeves that slid out from underneath the dress's sleeves. She had short brunette hair, wore thick sunglasses, red nylons, and black high heels.

Gai thought she was gorgeous, but she looked too young for his taste, and she was flat-chested like Kiko.

He waited for her to enter, but she stood outside for some reason. Gai's lips drooped, and said, "You can enter!"

She did so, her hands held in front of her, and stepped before Gai, not blinking. She stood still, as if waiting for another command. He gestured for her to sit before him. The girl did so with a perfect posture, and continued staring at Gai.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked, baffled at her behavior.

She nodded, but said nothing. Was she a Doll?

No, she wasn't. He had a sixth sense about Dolls and could spot one in a crowd of people. He figured she was nervous about something, or that his handsome old face mesmerized her.

"What is it I can help you with?" Gai asked.

"Sylar. At Hiro-O. Near old U.S. hotel," she said.

"What? Sylar?" Gai jumped out of his chair. "You saw him there?"

The girl nodded.

Gai grabbed his coat and charged out of his office with a cloud of dust left in his wake.

The girl stood from her seat, turned on her heels, and exited the office to head down stairs. Once she reached the bottom floor, she stepped onto the street to see Gai running as fast as an old man could while holding onto his hat.

"I take it things went well," said someone to her right.

She glanced down towards the voice where the black cat stood waiting, and nodded.

"Good, that should keep him busy," said the cat. "Now the pink girl."

The girl shook her head, and said, "She's busy. Watching a show."

"Well then, that's a plus for us. Where's the target?"

The girl squatted and placed her hand on the concrete. She stayed quiet for a few seconds, and then said, "Shinjuku. Near a park."

"Really? Now it feels like old times for me." The cat smiled.

The girl stood and began walking with the cat by her side.

Xxx

Sylar sat on a bench under an overgrown tree in a park with a small building that had a clock on it and an elephant slide. The sun drifted below the buildings, which made pockets of dark areas where someone could hide. He didn't like it, but he was going to deal with it for the time being.

He came here to get away from the people who were tracking him. First it was some woman in pink, then men in black, and he believed someone else. He wasn't too sure since all he spotted was a black cat.

He started finding out he could disappear from thin air, but he had to pay the price for it by doing two hundred jumping jacks. He knew he was a Contractor now, and he was fine with it. His life was irrational.

At least that was what he thought, but he still felt terrible. Maybe he should act on it like he had in the past.

No, Contractors were liars and deceivers, so that was what he was supposed to do now.

Sylar wondered where he should go. Maybe over to the rundown apartments nearby, figuring that that place could be good enough to hide. Perhaps he should start heading for Tokyo's border and slip out of the city. It might be safer for him to do so.

The sun settled behind the horizon to head into the magic hour of illumination. The sky was orange red as more areas around the park were darkened.

He could just live invisible for the rest of his life and do nothing but jumping jacks. It would make stealing things easier, and he wouldn't have to worry about the cops. Even if he got caught, he could disappear from their sight, and slip out as the guards looked on baffled.

The only thing he had to be concerned about was his star. He knew whenever a Contractor used his or her power; the fake stars above shined brightly like a beacon to give his or her location. The Foreign Affairs would be on him faster than an Indy driver could race around a road course.

He also knew that there was a detective who was the daughter of the infamous Section-Chief Kirihara. Sylar hoped he didn't cross her path.

The sun had settled completely, surprising him. The lights on the lamps didn't work, which made it hard to read his watch. He noticed two hours had passed since the sun had set.

He figured it wasn't safe here anymore and began heading off. He walked across a bridge with a dried up ravine below, turned a corner to head down another street, and came up to a smoke shop.

Inside kneeled a girl with neck length blond hair wearing a navy blue school uniform.

At first Sylar paid no attention to her, but he felt a bad omen he couldn't ignore, and stopped to look at her peculiarly. She stared back without blinking, making him feel distraught.

"Is there a problem?" he asked. The girl stayed silent. "I'm talking to you!"

The girl didn't give him a response, which made him highlight in blue, and disappear. He smirked, walked off, and turned the corner to do two hundred jumping jacks. Once he was done, he continued on.

Suddenly, a blue thing with three black dots that resembled eyes and a mouth popped out from a garbage bag. He looked at it dumbfounded since he had never seen anything like that before and pondered on what it was. Then it hit him. He remembered hearing that Dolls could create ghost like objects and only other Dolls and Contractors could see them.

Somebody was trying to locate him!

He looked back at where he had come from and wondered if that that girl was a Doll. Was she tracking him for someone, or was she curious at why he had disappeared? Sylar wasn't too sure, and he didn't want to stick around. Plus, as long as he was invisible, nobody could see him.

He shook it off and headed down the street while staying hidden from the world.

When he was a kid, he wished to have invisibility so he could sneak into girls' bathrooms, but now it was an irrational thing to think of. He was still grateful since he thought it was better than any other power. Sylar knew with a power like this, he could walk up to someone like a President or a Prime Minister, and assassinate him or her.

He knew he could be very useful.

The spectre appeared before him again on a littered plastic bottle. He narrowed his eyes at it, wondering what its deal was, and continued on.

Was that thing really looking for him? Even if it was, it made no difference. The Doll could look around the world and it wouldn't find him. He was invisible.

He turned a corner and saw a black cat sitting in the middle of the street wagging its tail. He slanted his eyes, believing it looked like the one from earlier, and then turned his head around to see the spectre right behind him glowing off another trash bag. He looked back at the cat, and returned his attention at the spectre.

"Are we scaring you?"

Sylar eyes widened, looked back at the cat, and noticed it was smiling. The cat and the spectre could see him.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"It's quiet simple," said a woman's voice. Sylar turned to see a woman who looked as though she was in her late thirties or early forties. "You have a unique power, and I would like to put you to work."

Sylar thought for a second, mostly surprised the woman was looking right into his eyes. Did she have some magical power to where she could see things that no ordinary person could?

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Is that even rational?" she challenged.

"It is since I want to know what I'm getting into."

She smiled and said, "I'll tell you if you join. It's irrational to tell someone who says no."

"All right. I'll join. Now who are you?"

"Her name is Madam Oreille," said one of the four men in black, as they came up from behind her and the black cat wearing special goggles. Sylar guessed they could see him now since a couple of them were staring at him. "Leader of an Underground organization."

Madame Oreille looked over her shoulder with a smile.

"Oh my! Why isn't it the CIA," she said unfazed. "It's been a while, Mr. Gorski. How has your family been?"

"Good. My son just had his tenth birthday party, and I had to miss it thanks to hunting down this Contractor. But what to my luck, I run into you. You're getting sloppy in your old age."

"Or I let myself be spotted. And I'm not that old, thanks to special plastic surgery."

"Funny. Why would you do such a thing to risk your life?"

"To get the drop on you, of course."

"Nani?"

Two of his men standing behind the cat screamed in pain and fell backwards with blades sticking out of their chest. Sylar looked on stupefied, but pushed it aside to run off. Gorski pulled out his gun, aimed it at Oreille, and as he pulled the trigger, a wire wrapped around his pistol to turn it sideways and shot his partner in the head. His partner fell to the ground sideways without knowing what had hit him.

The wire loosened, wrapped around his neck, and then someone jumped out from the trees to tighten the strings to choke him. Gorski looked to his right to see who was choking him, but he couldn't see his face.

Oreille walked up to him, stopped centimeters from his face, and said, "Tell Mr. Chaplin that I'm back in town to take it back, and that he better watch his back from now on."

She gestured for the man behind him to finish him off.

"Wait, I thought you wanted me to tell Chaplin about you!"

"That's what M.E.'s for," she pointed out.

"NO, WAIT!"

Before he could say anything else, the unknown man pulled tightly, and finished him off. The unknown man released his hold to have Gorski's body plop on the ground motionless.

The unknown man fell back into the shadows, as Oreille looked back at the cat smiling, and said, "Should we go home now, Ricardo?"

"Oi! How many times do I have to tell you that that's not my name anymore! What are we going to do about the pink girl? She won't stop searching for him!"

"What…? That? I already took care of that with M.E. hours ago. Their purpose has been settled."

"What? You, set all that up? Why?" Oreille smiled and headed off. Mao frowned and followed. "Oi! Oreille, don't leave me hanging here! Come on. Tell me! You can call me Ricardo all you want!"

Xxx

Sylar, still using his powers, ran like a bat out of hell. One thing a Contractor knew best was not to stick around if he couldn't win a fight.

Suddenly, he tripped on something to stumble forward before rolling back onto his feet. He stood ready for a fight, but found a line of wire wrapped around his neck, and then it slightly tightened. Sylar noticed his predator had snuck up behind him somehow.

"Thought you promised your loyalty to Oreille?" said the man.

Sylar figured it was the same man who killed the men in black.

"I did," he said, his voice sounding groggily.

"Why'd you run?"

"I… I thought it… it was the best… option."

"It's a coward's act. Are you a coward?"

"What?" The shadow man tightened his hold. "AH, no!"

"Good. If you still want to join us, wait for Oreille. She will give you a place to stay. However, I will give you this warning. Watch yourself around her."

"Eh?"

Sylar was released. He turned around to look for the man choking him, but he was gone. Who was this person?

Xxx

Gai kneeled behind a car near the old American hotel, watching out for Sylar to appear. He had been waiting for hours, but there hadn't been any signs of him. He began to believe that Kiko had hired the girl to throw him off a lead she had. He was betting that she was rolling in the dough, laughing, and mocking him. He was right about someone talking behind someone's back being a hoax; he wasn't sneezing.

He stood; feeling the pain in his knees from kneeling too long, and began limping home.

Gai would make Kiko pay for deceiving him.

The next day, he located where her office was, walked up to it, and entered the place to see her and her big-breasted friend lying on the ground. He walked over to them and started kicking Kiko. She and her friend moaned and opened their eyes.

She woke up surprised, and looked up at Gai lost for words.

"EH? How'd you find my office?" she yelled.

"I looked it up," he said. "I want my share of the case since I know you solved it."

"What? What case? I don't have any cases right now!"

"Don't lie, Kiko! The Sylar case."

"Sylar? Sylar from the television program, Heroes?"

"Sylar Petrelli! The person we betted on!"

Kiko slanted her eyes at him peculiarly, and said, "I think you're losing your mind, Gai. I haven't seen you since I quit working for you."

"All right, Kiko! You're not getting out of the bet. Pay up!"

"It's true," spoke up her friend. "We haven't gotten a case in over a week."

"You can't fool someone like me." Gai pointed his thumb at his chest. "I can see through both of your lies."

Kiko narrowed her eyes, smiled, and said, "You're right, Gai. We are trying to pull a fast one on you."

"WE ARE?" questioned her friend. Kiko glared at her. "Oh, I mean, yes, we are!"

"Where's my cut of the money?"

"It's in a secret area," said Kiko. "Your cut… eh…? How much was it?"

"Fif… forty percent."

"Forty percent? I don't think I would have offered that!" yelled Kiko. Her friend elbowed her to keep going along. "Oh, but I do remember now. Go down stairs, exit the building, head to your right to go down two blocks, enter the second building on the third block, and head up to room 407. Knock on the door and tell the lady there Kiko sent you and you're here to pick up your prize."

Gai looked on baffled.

"Do you take me for a fool, Kiko?" he said. "You gave me the wrong room, didn't you? I'd knock on the door and say I'm here for my prize, and the lady wouldn't know what I'm talking about."

Kiko opened her mouth to yell at him, but she smiled again, and said, "You got me. It's across the street, room 303."

Gai smiled and exited the office. He departed the building, headed down two blocks, crossed the street, and entered the building on the third block. He walked up the flight of stairs, and knocked on room 303.

Within seconds, the door opened to reveal a woman in her mid fifties that wore too much make-up and perfume, and an outfit that showed more than he liked.

"Kiko sent me here for my prize," he said.

The lady smiled, showing teeth that were missing or had dozens of cavities, and said, "It's about time! I thought she wouldn't keep her promise."

"Eh?"

The lady grabbed Gai by the shirt, yanked him in with his hat flying off his head backwards, and closed the door.

Outside, within seconds as people walked by, Gai screamed out, "DAMN YOU, KIKO!"

In Kiko's office, she sneezed. She grabbed a tissue, wiped her nose, and said, "Looks like Gai met his woman. If he would have shut up, he would have gotten someone with all her teeth."

Kiko's friend smiled.

Xxx

Five minutes later, Gai left the apartment with his hat on sideways and his coat mangled, and headed home. He was going to strangle Kiko and get his share of her money: somehow. He just had to come up with a plan after a visit to the doctor to get checked out from his two-minute nightmare.

He returned to his apartment, walked up the stairs, and entered his office. To his surprise, a basket with fruit was sitting on his desk. In the basket was a note. He picked it up and read it.

"_Dear Mr. Gai,_

"_Thank you for finding and returning my cat. As gratitude, I paid your __financial __problems, and left you a check for four hundred thousand yen. It should keep you on your feet._

"_Sincerely,_

"_Miss O_

"_P.S. You should have power again."_

Gai grabbed his remote and clicked the button to turn on his television. To his delight, he had power. He didn't know what Miss O was talking about since he didn't find the cat, but he didn't care.

"YAHOO!"


	9. Chapter 9

Generation New

A Star Shines Brightly to Beckon One to Follow part one:

A man stood before a window in his office on the twentieth floor of the CIA building to gaze at the night sky that blanketed Tokyo. His office was spacious, more than what regulations required, had Japanese swords to decorate the walls, but had wooden flooring instead of tatami mats. His desk was western style that was neatly organized, had pictures of his wife and two kids, an Ohio State Buckeye pen, and a small rounded clock.

The man was tall, thin, wore a clean black suit, had an American western style mustache, and had slick hair combed to his right. He held a perfect posture, more so than what he thought a Doll could hold, and kept a straight face.

He was the fifth American Prime Minister voted in by the American people to rule Tokyo. He worked his way through the ranks in Japan, impressing many people, and making sure he kept the right people around.

He was the one responsible for BK201's death. Because of that one fluke, it got a lot of attention from the people in the higher position that were now below him. If he could play his cards right, he could banish the two term law for the Prime Minister in Japan, and rule it for the rest of his life.

However, he had to make sure how he approached things; especially with Madam Oreille, his greatest rival, still alive and back in town. At least it seemed like she was.

He hadn't seen her since BK201 died, and now she was reappearing on a special time in his career. She was so unpredictable.

There was a knock at his door.

"Come in," he said while turning around.

The door opened to allow a man who had graying black hair, wore a Kimono, and held a Japanese sword at his side.

"Minister Chaplin," began the Kimono man. "The M.E. confirms it. Mitchell Gorski did encounter Madam Oreille, and she had some help."

"Who?"

"It's unclear, sir, and we're not sure if she hired Sylar, a.k.a, HE905."

"I believe she did, Jackal. Keep an alert out for her and him, and Madam O's pet named Mao. I want them found and killed."

"Yes, Minister," bowed Jackal.

He turned on his heels and left the office. Chaplin stepped over to his desk and sat behind it. It was going to be an interesting night tomorrow. He was going to have a party that was going to be for his fifty-third birthday, but it was a cover to gather his closest allies to discuss his reign over Japan.

Xxx

Megumi lay awake in some guy's apartment. She had gone out to the bar last night, had a few drinks, and came to this place with some man who spoke little Japanese. She knew he wasn't English or American since it would have been easier for her to communicate, but he knew enough Japanese to make her sleep with him.

To her luck, his actions in bed matched his language barrier. She was lucky at surviving near deaths, but she was terrible at picking up the right man. Maybe she was like her mother after all.

The guy next to her started snoring.

Believing he was out cold, she slid out of the western style bed the guy somehow fit in his small apartment, slipped on her panties and bra, and shuffled on her pants. She grabbed her shirt and purse, and quietly exited the apartment. Megumi threw on her shirt, did up two buttons to cover her breasts, and hurried down the flight of stairs.

Once she reached street level, she remembered leaving her car back at the bar to ride with two-minute man. She sighed and headed towards the bar that was ten blocks away while wishing the subways and the JR lines ran at night.

She gazed up at the night sky.

Some of the stars shined brightly while the others stayed quiet. When she was a kid, she found it was intriguing at times to sit outside on the balcony of her apartment in Yokohama and watch the fake stars flicker on and off throughout the night. She at times would fall asleep in her father's arms while waiting for her mom to come home.

Although, it didn't last since her parents divorced.

Her mom tried to make up for it, and at times it worked, but it didn't feel the same without her dad.

Misaki would look in one particular spot in which Megumi had asked her what was so special about it.

"An old case that went south," was what her mother had replied.

It had been years later when Megumi found out the truth about that spot, and also had realized that it was part of the cause that ended her parents' relationship.

She reached her car a half an hour later, hopped in it, and headed home. One thing good about cars driving themselves, Megumi was able to lie back and get some sleep. They seemed so comfortable, more than her futon, and a lot of old folks had said that they could fall asleep easier in today's cars than in fossil-fueled cars.

Megumi lay sideways, relaxed, and fell asleep.

To her luck, she had fallen into a deep sleep in the car and slept through the night. Like last time, her phone went off, waking her up and making her curse.

Megumi arrived at work two hours late, sat at her desk, and began working to see what everybody was doing. A few times during her work, Saitou, Shoji, and Sakura looked at her. In response, Megumi gave them a look to mind their own business, and a mental note to not go sleeping with foreigners on work nights.

She only did it because she needed some action to get her mind off the close death encounters she had had. Plus, she was horny as hell. She still was since two-minute man didn't even get her to moan in delight. There wasn't even any foreplay.

She wouldn't have to worry about going to clubs tonight. She and her team were invited to a banquet. The only thing she was looking forward to was her father being in town since he was going to be at the banquet in honor of the Prime Minister's birthday. Being one of the Minister's cabinet men, he was supposed to be there.

Hours later, a call came in about a death in Ikebukuro with a knife wound. Her team suited up and headed out.

When they arrived, they found a body lying in a pool of blood with a two-slit wound on his chest. Megumi knew him as Prime Minister Egor Tarasov of Russia since she had met him a few times when she was still in school. His country, along with a few others, had joined forces in the war in South America.

He was supposed to be at the party tonight.

She looked at the wound, believing she had seen this type of injury before, but she couldn't remember where.

Somebody walked up to the line, which caused a commotion with the officer on site.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't pass this line," he said.

"Young man, do you know who I am?" said the man.

"No, and I wouldn't care who you are!"

Megumi looked over her shoulder and saw a Caucasian man with gray hair arguing with the officer with a few men in black standing next to him. He had a sharp face, brown eyes, stubby nose, and short as she. He wore a gray suit that had black stripes and a blue button shirt.

Her eyes lit up with excitement, and charged over to the tapeline.

"Daddy!" she chimed.

The Caucasian man and the officer looked on puzzled. The Caucasian man's face shined with delight, as Megumi squatted under the tapeline, and hugged her father.

"Megumi, you look as beautiful as the day I last saw you," he said.

"Oh, Daddy! That was just last year," Megumi smiled.

"And it seems like a century."

"Hem, hem," coughed the officer. "Ma'am, you know this man?"

Megumi glared at him, and said, "Yes, he's my father, and I'll authorize for him to cross the line."

"You're… Ma'am, I'd advice you…"

"If anything goes sour, I'll deal with it."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Megumi held up the tapeline for her father and his guards, and guided him to the crime scene. He sighed, as he gazed down at the Prime Minister's body.

"Do you know who would want him dead?" she asked her father.

Her father gave an unsettling look, as though he knew who was behind the killing, but he said instead, "Not a clue. Perhaps somebody who hates politicians?"

"Maybe. You might want to have your bodyguards keep an eye open tonight, Daddy."

"You don't have to tell me. I've already doubled up my security."

Megumi looked at her father's men who stood close by while watching everybody.

"You trust them?" she asked.

"With my life, sweetheart. I'll see you later tonight, and maybe we can get together for dinner afterwards."

Megumi smiled. Her father kissed her forehead and left the crime scene with his guards. She watched him, having a discomforting feeling about something, as though he knew more than what he was letting on.

Or maybe it was his political face he was showing off.

Xxx

Megumi and her team arrived at the CIA building and entered the banquet hall on the first floor. It was spacious, bigger than anything she had seen that wasn't a building, and believed a bowing 747 could fit in here with room to spare.

Megumi was dressed in a red dress that shaped her figure. It showed off some cleavage, had a knot hanging down from it, and came down to her ankles. She wore black high heels, done up her hair in a bonnet, and had on blush. She held onto a black purse that concealed her gun, which she had informed the guards.

Sakura was dressed in a tan dress that covered her whole body and let her hair hang loose. She carried a shoulder bag that contained only blush and lipstick. The men were dressed in tuxedos with their guns hidden under their coats.

A bar was located to the left while over a dozen rounded tables stood in rows before a long table against the back wall with a dance floor nearby. The tables were already filled with guests that Megumi didn't know, and figured it was mostly politicians. Megumi, Hayate, and her team walked over to their table to take their seats.

Wine had been already poured. Sakura grabbed her glass and downed it.

"A little nervous?" Shoji asked.

"I don't like crowds, and I hate high heels," she said.

Shoji smirked, stared at Megumi, and said, "Oi, Megumi. Something's been bugging me!" Megumi narrowed her eyes. She was betting Shoji was going to ask if she was late again due to a one-night stand. "Why is it that your last name is Japanese, but your old man is Canadian? Shouldn't you have a name like Fox, Yzerman, Kroeger, or Li?"

"My dad married a Japanese woman before my mom," she replied. "She was the only child in the family, and well, she wanted to keep the surname, so my dad agreed to take hers.

"Two years into their marriage, she got into a car crash and died. My dad kept the name, married my mom, and then they had me."

"Oh, that was sweet of him. So what's his real surname?"

"You know, I don't know."

"Bet you its Sutherland!"

Megumi's jaw line tightened.

Minutes went by with more people entering the banquet. Hayate had stepped away from their table to talk with a former colleague he knew from his academy days. Saitou headed off to the bar to get some drinks while Shoji went to talk with girls. Sakura continued to drink, including the ones that Saitou had brought back.

Megumi decided to leave her table so she could stretch her legs, and hopefully find her father. With luck, she found him talking with some people and her mother.

"Mom? Daddy?" she questioned.

Megumi was startled since they hadn't spoken to each other due to the break up, or at least she thought.

"Megumi!" chimed Misaki. "You look gorgeous!"

Misaki wore a black dress that wrapped around her neck and was sleeveless. She had done up her hair, had on black high heels and, to Megumi's surprise, didn't have her glasses on. She must be wearing contact lenses.

"Thanks, but what are you doing here?" said Megumi

"It seemed that the Minister requested all the leading police departments in Japan to gather here to hear what he has to say," replied Misaki.

"And they said all right?" questioned Megumi, slanting her eyes.

"The Minister is giving a generous donation to the departments," said her father.

"Oh, that'll work!'

"Megumi, meet Professor Peppermint." Her father gestured to an old and short wrinkly man. "He teaches at Tokyo University, and an old friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you, Professor," bowed Megumi.

"The pleasure is mine," said the Professor. "Charlie talks about you all the time. I guess he loves you more than anything."

Megumi smiled.

It was true. She knew her father loved her more than anything else, including Misaki. It hurt her dearly at times, but she let it go.

"I heard you're the Section-Chief now, like your mother before you," said Peppermint. "Your parents must be proud of you."

"Yes, we are," said Misaki.

Megumi smirked, looked at her father, and said, "Daddy, I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

A dinging sound went off, catching her father's attention, and then looked back at his daughter.

"It'll have to wait, sweetheart," he said.

"But it'll be really quick."

"I'm sorry, but it's almost time for the banquet to start."

Her father walked up to the front with Professor Peppermint sitting at another table reserved for the University. Misaki headed over to a table with other police officers. Megumi's jaw line tightened, turned away, and walked over to the bar to sit down.

"A Bloody Mary, please," she said, still upset.

Ever since Shoji had asked about her father's surname, it had been bugging her. She herself wanted to know since she wondered if it had a silly ring to her name. No doubt if it did, she wouldn't hear the end of it from Shoji.

"Don't you think that that's a little too strong for a woman?" the bartender asked.

Megumi looked at him stupidly, and then her eyes widened in shock.

"It's you!" she whimpered, staring at the man she thought looked like an Asian Harry Potter. "You're… Eh, what was your name again?"

"I'm heart broken that you don't remember my name!" he smirked. "It's Kamui Hizumi."

"Oh, right. Wh—what're you doing here? What happened to your janitor job?"

"I have several jobs," he said while cleaning out a glass. "You have to in order to live in this city."

Her head tilted sideways at his comment, shook it off, and asked, "W—why do you care what I drink?"

"'Cause, the last thing I want to see is a beautiful woman like you passing out on my bar."

She smirked, gave him her full attention, and said, "Or you're trying to use it as a pick up line."

"Maybe so. Is it working?"

"Not one bit!"

"And your interrogation bit didn't help either."

Megumi chuckled.

"So what about my drink?" she asked.

Hizumi smiled, poured the drink, and handed over the drink. She took the glass and drank it. Her cheeks tightened from the sharp sensation from her taste buds, and set the glass down.

"How much?" she asked.

"On the house for the most beautiful woman here," he said.

She smiled while blushing, forgetting the last time a guy made her feel like this, and said, "Now that might work. What time do you get off, and what are you doing afterwards?"

"Ten, and nothing really."

It looked like her father was going to be eating alone tonight. Although, he could ask her mom out on a _second_ date if he wanted company.

"How about a night out with me?" she flirted.

"I would, but there's a problem." She looked at him puzzled. "I never caught your name the first time we met."

Megumi stared dumbfounded, and said, "Itashi Megumi."

"Such a beautiful name for such a beautiful angel," he said. "But I got one more question." He leaned on the bar to gaze into her eyes. "Is it you asking me out, or the Bloody Mary?"

"Oh, come on now, I think you just lost your chance," smirked Megumi, as she stood to leave.

Hizumi watched her walk over to her table, smiled, and whispered, "Or you're just playing hard to get."

Megumi sat, as the Minister and the others settled in their seat. Once everybody was seated, the Prime Minister stood and tapped on his glass to get everybody's attention.

"I'd like to welcome everybody that has come," he said. "I know my secretary won't be happy after she gets the bill." Everybody chuckled. "I know I have only been in office for a short period of time, but I am doing my best with my cabinet beside me to guide me in the right path."

"And you're doing a fine job," said Megumi's father.

"Thank you, Charlie. I also wanted to announce something else. In a couple of months, I will sign a bill that will take most of the pressure off the Foreign Affairs, and create a police force again here in Tokyo. In doing so, I hope many Japanese citizens will return here and help restore this wonderful city."

Everybody stood to clap at the bill, except Megumi who pondered on why. It would help free up their time so that they could focus on Contractors and other things, but why would the Minister do such a thing?

She pushed it aside, stood, and clapped as well.

Dinner began to be served after everybody retook his and her seat. However, to Megumi's dissatisfaction, it was mostly meat products, making her frown at all the greasy food before her.

She began to pick out the fruits and vegetables, and a few dairy products she knew she would have no problem eating. She made sure she stayed away from the pork and beef stuff.

"What's wrong, Megumi? Don't like pork?"

Out of all the people who had to ask her that question, it had to be Kiski Shoji. He was really getting on her nerves entering her personal life.

"I'm a vegan, sort of," she replied, as she began eating a carrot.

"Sort of? You don't like pork, but like other meat?"

"No! I hate anything greasy!"

"Why?" Megumi's jaw line tightened. He never gave up, did he? "You know, Megumi, if you keep making that face, it's going to get stuck." He smiled.

Megumi grinded her teeth and prayed she would get the chance to slap him later.

"If you must know," she began, "it's mostly because of my mom! After my parents divorced, and my mom got full custody of me, she would come home with bags of McDoness burgers every night! I mean, every night! There would be times when she would bring something else besides McDoness, but it was still greasy."

Saitou laughed, and said, "Sounds like Misaki-san!" causing Megumi to glare at him displeased.

Saitou freaked out, and continued eating his food.

After they were finished, the waiters and waitresses took the dishes away. Everybody started to file away from his or her table, which made Megumi look for her parents.

After searching for a few minutes, she found her mother gathered with some other people that looked foreign.

"Mom, where's Daddy? I was hoping to ask him that question."

"He's right…" she began to point over her shoulder, but noticed the space was vacant. "That's weird? He was here. Maybe he had to use the toilet."

Greasy food would do that to someone. Megumi would know that one for a fact.

"Eh, do you know dad's real surname?" she asked.

Misaki blinked for a second, and said, "He never told you."

"No."

"Why all of a sudden do you want to know?"

"Oh, nothing. Shoji asked me that."

Misaki nodded, and then began to tell her.

"Mi—Misaki-san!" chimed Saitou, as he approached to step before them.

"Saitou! You know you don't have to call me san!"

"Eh, I know, but I can't help it. Sorry."

"How are things here?"

"Good, although I'm having problems with the computers here."

"It takes time."

"Eh, Mom, you were going to…" spoke up Megumi.

"Have you met Dr. Mualim from America?"

"No, nice to meet you," said Saitou, bowing.

Megumi sighed, as the three broke into conversation, making her walk off and look for her father.

Xxx

At the Astronomy lab, a short Japanese woman paced back and forth, keeping a keen eye on things, as her team watched for any Contractor activity. She wore a lab coat with a white blouse and a tan knee length skirt with black high heels to make her look taller. She had long black curly hair, a rounded face, hollow eyes, and an attitude worse than the Hell's Kitchen guy, Gordon Ramsay.

She was irritated that Itashi Megumi and her team had been allowed to attend the banquet tonight, and she and her team were stuck at work babysitting the city. She believed if Megumi's father wasn't a part of the cabinet, then she would be sitting at a table enjoying a fine meal.

Warning lights and sirens started going off.

The short Japanese woman's eyes widened, as she looked up at the screen to see lights flickering like fireworks and forming into rings before dissipating.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Checking, Emiko-san" said a blond-haired woman.

She swiped at the hologram, hit something, and scrolled around. The blond-haired woman repeated her actions randomly a few more times, and then jumped back scared, as though she had seen a ghost.

"What is it?" Emiko asked.

"No, it can't be?" the blond-haired woman whimpered.

"Chou! What can't be?"

Chou looked back half scared and gestured towards the screen. Rolling her eyes and swishing her hair aside, Emiko stepped before it to look at what was going on. She focused on the reading, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, and then her eyes widened from spotting a star that shouldn't be on the chart anymore.

"Call the Foreign Affairs," said Emiko.

"But… they're at the Banquet? I don't think Megumi…"

"JUST DO IT!"

Chou jumped in her seat, turned around, and dialed Megumi's number.

Xxx

On the top floor, in a dimly lit room with a window to the right, Chaplin sat at the front of a rectangular table holding a glass of Bourbon with his cabinet members and a few other close friends throughout the world before him, eyeing him. They knew he had more to tell than the measly cop bill.

Charlie Itashi, sitting two seats down to Chaplin's left, lay back in his chair, crossed his arms, and let out a heavy breath of air while frowning at Chaplin.

"So, what's your real intentions, Minister?" he asked.

Chaplin smiled, took a drink out of his glass, and placed it down, as he stood.

"I think you know, old friend," he said while walking the length of the table behind Charlie and his other members.

"World domination. You know; if the President finds out…"

"Unless someone informs President Markus, he'll be dead soon and we will be living like Kings?" shot back Chaplin, as he turned to stare at Charlie.

"Dead?"

"President Markus is scheduled to arrive here in a few months. In that time, I will have things set up to have him assassinated, thanks to my own police squad. In doing so, the Vice President will take over, and with the payoff I have on him, he will grant me Marshal Law over this city."

Charlie sighed, and said, "There are other ways. What we're doing isn't some trivial thing. Someone is bound to notice sooner or later. Whether it's the media, the President of the United State's cabinet members, other world country's President cabinet members, or the Foreign Affairs themselves, we can't keep it a secret forever."

Chaplin pursed his lips, pointed at Charlie, and said, "You're right, but we have another problem. An old enemy."

"Madam O," said Peppermint, who was sitting across from Charlie. "We heard about her taking out a few of your men."

"She's just getting warmed up," chuckled Chaplin. "She's gathering an army. I believe she's already gotten her hands on a few Dolls, and maybe now a Contractor. Now she needs to recruit some soldiers, if she hasn't done that already." He fixed his eyes on Charlie. "I'd keep my eyes on your ex if I were you. Madam O might try to snatch her up."

Charlie snorted.

"With BK201 dead, I doubt it," he replied.

"Don't underestimate Madam O," warned Chaplin. "Agent Smith did, and he got himself killed."

"He was a fool."

"So your solution to counteract Madam O is to 'secretly' build your army with the police force here in Japan, and try to do it right under everybody's nose," said a middle-aged man with stubby hair.

"No one would be the wiser to the plan," said Chaplin, holding out his arms while walking back to his seat and standing before it.

"Don't underestimate my daughter!" challenged Charlie, his right eyelid raised, and his right finger pointing at Chaplin. "And if anything happens to her…!"

"You and I both know nothing will happen to her, or rather, nothing _can_ happen to her thanks to you." Charlie's jaw line tightened, as the other members looked at him and Chaplin peculiarly. "The worse thing that would happen to that gorgeous daughter of yours is a little M.E. surgery. I swear my plan is fool proof. Not even the police force will realize what they are really for."

"You said the same thing about Heaven's Gate when you had your right hand man kill BK201," said an old man that had a spot on his forehead like Mikhail Gorbachev. He was smoking a Cuban cigar. "Now we're in a war with every country that we were once Allies with: minus Japan, Russia, China, and my country, Austria."

"The war thing wasn't my fault: not entirely at least," defended Chaplin, sitting on the side of the desk while taking his drink in hand.

"Spoken like a true politician!"

"Any clues as to where Madam O is?" asked a man with a crooked nose. He smiled and finished with, "and how she looks so young still? Oh, man, give me a whole bottle of Viagra pills, Doc."

Everyone chuckled, except Charlie. He hated wise cracks in the middle of an important discussion.

"No, not a clue," replied Chaplin.

"Maybe you should get Charlie's pretty little girl to look for her," said the crooked nose man. "And then they both could look me up." He smiled at Charlie.

Charlie glared at him, as he pursed his lips. He swore on his deceased wife's grave that one day he would straighten out the perverted man's nose.

"If there's no more talk about something important, like Lady Gaga's daughter wanting a foursome, then I'm going back down to the party," he looked back at Charlie, "and maybe talk with some of those beautiful young girls; I mean, women, in my private room. And maybe, I might get one of them to ride my Disco stick."

The cabinet members laughed. They stood and departed the office, except Charlie, Peppermint, and Chaplin.

"Just give me two minutes with him!" yelled Charlie.

Chaplin chuckled and took a swig of his drink.

"You should lighten up, old friend," he said. "Andrew was only messing with your head."

"And anymore I might rearrange his with my bare hands!"

"I'd pay a good sum of my money to see that. You get anything out of your daughter about whom might have killed Igor?"

"No, but I'm sure you know who could be behind it. Madam O."

Chaplin finished his drink, clenched his jaw as he swallowed, and pointed at Charlie while saying, "You were married to Kirihara too long. Still think you need to keep a keen eye on her."

"It's not Misaki I'm worried about, it's my daughter."

He told them the look Megumi had given him earlier at Igor's crime scene.

"You need not worry, my old friend," assured Chaplin. "Everything is going according to plan. Soon we will be ruling this whole country in a year or two."

"And when we do, my daughter will hate me for it," replied Charlie.

"I offered you to step down, but you refused."

"Because I was already deep in it. I had no other choice."

Suddenly, the door burst open with Chaplin's secretary entering and looking hysterical. She was tall, Caucasian, had blond hair done up into a bonnet, and wore big rounded glasses. She was dressed in a blue dress that shaped to her slim figure and had on blue high heels that appeared to be killing her feet.

"What's with the face?" he asked. "The bill for the party already came in?"

"N—no, sir," she said, shaking her head.

"Well, what is it? Spit it out!"

"Um?"

Unable to speak, she gestured for him to look outside. He pushed away from his desk to walk up to his window, as did his two followers, and looked upwards at the sky. He noticed a star shining brightly and believed a Contractor was active.

However, as he fixated at where the star was located, he figured out whom it belonged to. He dropped his empty glass to have it shatter and have the ice cubes spatter everywhere. He gasped, as he felt nauseous.

It seemed as though his past had resurfaced.

"Im…impossible! It can't be possible?"

Xxx

Megumi pushed her way through the crowd, checking every square foot from corner to corner of the place for her father, but there wasn't any sign of him. It was as if he had channeled Houdini's spirit and disappeared.

What was driving her crazy was her phone ringing off the hook. It had gone off three times, and the person calling wasn't getting the message she was busy with something important.

She wanted to know what her father's surname was and see what kind of Canadian name she might have had.

The other cabinet members were gathered in a corner she had sworn she had checked, and walked over to step before someone with a spot on his head like Mikhail Gorbachev. He smiled at her while a crooked nose man holding a drink gave her a perverted stare.

"Sir, have you seen Charlie Itashi?" she asked.

"Oh, he's with the Prime Minister at the moment," he said. "He should be back soon."

"Why don't you wait with us, young lady," said the pervert, swaggering and smirking.

Megumi gave off a fake laugh and smile, and to her relief, her phone went off again to give her an excuse to depart.

"Pardon me," she said, and walked off.

She pulled out her phone, hit the speakerphone button, and placed it to her ear to speak privately without any prying ears. Her mom had told her back when she was her age, speakerphone was used for everybody around to hear the person on the other line.

To her, it didn't make any sense!

"This is Megumi," she said into the phone. She let the other person speak. To her luck, it was Emiko, and she didn't sound too happy. "I've been busy!" Megumi fell silent. "That's none of your business, and watch your language! Good thing I have you on speaker! Now what's so important?"

She listened to Emiko speak, figuring she was going to argue some more, but apparently it was important since she cut right to the point. Megumi gasped from what she was hearing, dropped the phone to have it clank on the ground as Emiko blabbered on, and shoved guest out of her path to head for the entrance. She charged through the door as it slid aside, ran out into the street, and gazed up at her mother's favorite spot. Her eyes widened in fear as a star above shined brightly in them.

It seemed Kuro no Shinigami had raised from the depths of hell.

Xxx

In the hallways on the tenth floor, the kimono man walked down it searching for intruders. The hallway was painted tan to give it some light with tile floors. Doors leading into offices were spaced out every twenty feet with keypad and finger print ID locks, and halls intersecting every sixty feet.

Jackal thought of himself as an honorable man, at times, but he felt incomplete since he was born an American. He spent years studying kendo, fought many kendo masters, competed in many tournaments, and won them all.

He had fought strong opponents, but it felt like none of them had given him a real challenge. He had heard that there was a Contractor who was a talented swords woman, had dueled against BK201, and had given him a challenge. Jackal wanted to meet her since he had already taken care of BK201.

However, some people who knew the truth behind BK201's death would say it wasn't a fair fight, which made Jackal think he wasn't an honorable man at times.

A sixth sense kicked in, as he felt a slightly different but familiar aura, and stopped while placing his right hand on his sword. Fear flooded his veins at how it was possible, but a smile crept on his face at the thought of redemption.

He slowly turned around while pulling out his katana to hold it out two handed. Before him stood a man dressed in black with slick black hair, and wore a white mask with a purple lighting bolt shooting through the right eye.


	10. Chapter 10

Generation New

A/N: I hoped everybody enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you all will enjoy this one even more. A lot of Hei/Misaki fans should like this one somewhat.

And this message is to Aerysa: thank you for pointing out my mistakes, and I tried taking your advise on wording. I tried my best, and I hope this is a little better.

As for the next chapter, give me a bit since I want to finish my other story first. I put that off so I could get to these two chapters.

Enjoy, everybody.

xxx

A Star Shines Brightly to Beckon One to Follow part two

Charlie, Chaplin, and Peppermint stared up at the star shining brightly, puzzled at how it had been reborn. It was not possible. The man who had owned that star had died twenty-seven years ago.

"Its… its just one man, right?" whimpered Peppermint.

Chaplin glared at him devilishly, grabbed his shirt, and said, "Just one man?"

"Y—yeah. You… beat him before."

"It was a fluke how Jackal and I killed him! This is BK201! Kuro no Shinigami! It's the man the Syndicate had named Hei!"

"He also goes by the name of Li Shengshun," said Charlie, shrugging. "So my ex kept on telling me in our eight years of marriage."

Chaplin glanced back at Charlie displeased, pushed Peppermint away from him, and straightened out his suit.

"You both need to take this seriously," he said. "If that is BK201's star, then no doubt he's coming after us."

"What are the chances it's his star?" questioned Peppermint.

"Ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent," replied Charlie. "There has never been a star reborn with a different host."

"Maybe we'll get lucky and it's a new host."

The secretary came running back into the office room looking even worse than before.

"Um, sir," she began, gulping. "Security just called, and, well… eh… they had said that… that… BK201's on the tenth floor, along with Mr. Jackal. And I have some bad news from South America." Chaplin narrowed his eyes, as he expected something terrible. "Heaven's Gate, it… it disappeared… again. Along with half of our men and women serving there."

Chaplin breathed out heavily, walked over to his desk, and pulled out a nine-millimeter.

"You two either stay here, or return to the party," said Chaplin to his two old friends, "or what's left of a party. I'm going to take care of BK201 once and for all."

He stormed out of the office with Charlie sighing and looking over at Peppermint.

"How much you wanna bet my ex starts looking for Madam O. now?" he said, taking his seat while staring up at BK201's star.

Xxx

Megumi hurried back into the party, as everybody began to rush out to look up at the sky. Word had surfaced concerning BK201's star. Shoji, Sakura, and Saitou were amongst the crowd. They fought their way towards her, looking dumbfounded.

"Is it true?" spoke up Saitou. "Is it really BK201's star?"

Megumi nodded.

"Get a team ready," she ordered.

"Ready? For what?" Shoji asked.

"We're heading for Hell's Gate."

"Hell's Gate? Why?"

"Because, if a Contractor loses his or her power, they can regain it by going back to the Gate," said Saitou.

"Exactly!" Megumi applauded. He wasn't a total idiot. "Which means he's at the Gate right now."

"So…" whimpered Shoji, "you're planning on taking on the most notorious Contractor, who, might I add, somehow resurrected from the dead!"

"Scared!"

"NO!" he whimpered again. He cleared his throat. "I mean… no."

"Good!"

Megumi was about to give off another order, but her attention shifted to her right. Her mother headed for the exit, looking as though she was in a trance. Megumi made her way towards her, hoping to prevent her from gazing upon BK201's star and retain what she had left as a mother.

She stormed out of the building, breathing heavily while scanning for Misaki, and located her a few feet away. She was too late. Her mother's eyes were fixated on BK201's star, twitching with hysteria.

"Li…kun!" she whispered.

Megumi stared at her, knowing she had lost her mother completely.

Shoji, Saitou, and Sakura ran outside and came up beside Megumi, as people ran around in a ruckus, pointing up at the sky and calling friends concerning the news.

"Chief, bad news," spoke up Saitou. "Just as you ran off, somebody had said that BK201 is here."

Misaki's attention shifted towards them, as Megumi's eyes widened while staring back at Saitou.

"What? That can't be right?" she shouted. "How can he get from Hell's Gate to here in less than five minutes?"

"Well, he's been spotted on the tenth floor."

Megumi's jaw line tightened while she thought for a second, and then said, "Saitou, Shoji, get a team together and head for the Gate. I'll check out the tenth floor."

"What? But BK201 is up there, not at the Gate!" yelled Shoji.

"Don't argue with me! Just do what I say!"

Shoji opened his mouth to protest, but Saitou grabbed his shirt and dragged him off. Megumi turned around to head back into the building.

"Wait, Megumi, I'm coming with you!" shouted Misaki.

Megumi looked back at her, shook her head, and said, "No, Mom! You're too emotionally attached to him. If you get in his way, or mine at that manner, he'll kill you."

"Megumi! I know him better than anybody else, including you. You need my help."

Megumi frowned, knowing she wasn't going to like this one bit.

"All right, but you do what I tell you," she demanded.

Misaki nodded.

Megumi lifted up her dress to unfasten her back-up gun and handed it over. Misaki checked it to see it was fully loaded, and followed her daughter to the elevator.

Xxx

Jackal stared at the Black Reaper. BK201 reached into his coat to remove a double-sided blade with a split down the middle, and held it backhanded. He settled into a fighting stance, sent a small spark through the blade, and charged at Jackal.

He swung his blade horizontally, causing Jackal to block it and then parried a vertical strike. Jackal followed with a vertical slash, which made BK201 dodge right, duck under a horizontal attack, and then moved left to avoid another vertical strike. BK201 finished his move with a roundhouse kick in which Jackal was struck and sent back a couple of paces, as BK201 hopped back to gather some room and stand in a fighting pose.

His blade sparked again, little pulses this time, as though he was taunting his opponent to attack.

Jackal wiped at the blood seeping down his chin, and charged at BK201. He swung his katana viciously, forcing BK201 to duck under it, and slash his blade upward to have it knocked aside. Jackal kicked and struck BK201's stomach, giving him an opening to jab his sword into BK201's gut. However, BK201 had the sword slide into the split of his blade, made it spark, and twisted his wrist to snap the sword like a twig.

"Impossible?" whispered Jackal to himself.

The broken piece clanked on the floor, as BK201 tripped Jackal to have him fall on his back. He stared down at him, raised his knife with both hands over his head with the point facing downwards, and as he was about to finish him, a gun went off.

A bullet ricocheted off the back of BK201's coat and bounced off the floor. BK201 lowered his hands, turned around, and saw Chaplin standing at a corner holding a gun. BK201 made his blade spark again simultaneously, as though stating he was annoyed.

"How is it possible?" questioned Chaplin.

BK201 began to charge at him, but stopped as another shot hit his backside again. He looked back to see a brown-haired woman in a red dress holding a gun, and Kirihara Misaki standing next to her looking dumbfounded.

"Li…kun?"

Megumi frowned.

"Put your hands up, whoever you are!" she demanded.

BK201 stared at her for a second, and then said, "Stay out of my way."

"Can't do that!"

"Then I guess I do this."

The Black Reaper charged at Megumi, causing her to fire, but her bullet bounced of his coat again. She ducked at the last minute, as he swung his blade. She tried to trip him, but he hopped over it. BK201 came up behind her, placing his knife to her throat, and having her drop her gun while holding her before Misaki.

Misaki gasped and pointed her gun at BK201 finally. It had been a mistake to bring her along.

"Back up," demanded BK201.

Misaki shook her head.

"Back up, or I kill your only child."

She looked at him puzzled.

"How…?"

"I just do! Now back up, Commander Kirihara, or watch helplessly as her blood spills from her neck!"

"Li-kun!"

"MOM! Just do it! He's not the Li you once knew! Please, get it through your head!"

A tear escaped her right eye and lowered her gun. BK201 slowly guided Megumi towards the elevator with everybody parting aside. He hit the down button, and entered it with her.

"Let her go, L—Li!" demanded Misaki. "Let her go!" The elevator doors closed with Megumi still held by BK201. "NNNOOO!"

Misaki ran up to the elevator, slammed her fist against it, and found her eyes were doused in tears.

Xxx

BK201 released Megumi, surprising her, and gave her the chance to attack him. However, to her luck, he caught her punch with his hands, and twisted her arm to make her bend forward.

"Ouch!" she screamed.

"I'm not going to kill you, if you behave," he stated.

"Like I'd believe that! You're a Contractor who lies and deceives people. For all I know, you could lead me on false hope, and kill me anyways."

"You really think that: especially from all the stories your mom told you about me?"

"That's my mom talking. She wanted to believe you're a good guy, but we both know the truth. You're a heartless killer."

He loosened his hold on Megumi, turned her around, and smacked her across the face. He shoved her against the wall and held his knife to her throat. She did not quiver, even though she was terrified.

"If you're going to kill me, then kill me," she taunted. "Maybe then my mom will see the real you."

BK201 snorted and released her while sheathing his blade. The elevator dinged to have its doors open. He pushed Megumi out and guided her down the sixth floor's hallway.

The one thing she was concerned about was her dress. If it acquired any smudges or the miniscule of rips, Aunt Kanami would strangle her since it was a Christmas gift from her. Her mother and father never liked it since it showed too much cleavage.

They gradually walked around the floor, making Megumi wonder where they were heading. Moments later, they entered a men's bathroom and then stepped into a stall. BK201 locked the door, put down the seat and sat on it, as Megumi looked on dumbfound.

She had had her moments in men's bathroom stalls, but this was new.

"What are we doing in here?" she asked.

"I need to think," he said, his legs crossed, and his right hand under his chin.

"Eh?" The Black Reaper, also known as BK201, code name Hei, needs to think? "About what? How to kill me?"

"If I wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now."

Megumi's eyes widened and thought, _lucky me!_

"I'm thinking of how to escape," he said. "I kept you around just incase I need someone to bargain with."

"I'm a hostage? Why don't you just do your little magic trick?"

BK201's mask shifted up, and said, "Magic trick?"

"It takes almost thirty minutes to drive from Hell's Gate to get here. How did you get here in a matter of minutes and reach the tenth floor without anybody spotting you?"

The man behind the mask sat quietly, as though pondering on the question.

"Teleportation," he said.

Megumi pursed her lips, and said, "So why not use it to get out!"

"It's complicated. I came here for one purpose. Kill the Minister and his lackeys. The banquet was the best time to strike."

"The best time? With innocent people littering the first floor? You're insane!"

BK201 stood, grabbed her neck, and slammed her against the stall's door.

"You have no idea what's going on!" he said in a low, and deadly voice. "The Minister, his cabinet members, and his friends across the world aren't what they seem!"

"Wh—what?" gasped Megumi, as she narrowed her eyes, and felt her heart sinking. Her father was on the Minister's cabinet staff. "What…? What do you… mean?"

"If you knew, you'd be dead before you got a second older."

"Liar! You're messing with me. My father isn't behind anything!"

BK201 titled his head, and muttered, "Your father? Who?"

"Itashi Charlie."

"I don't know any Itashi Charlie." Megumi felt a heavy burden lift off her shoulder. "I know of a Charlie Smith."

Megumi felt her heart skip a beat, believing that that was her father's real name. She didn't know why, but something about hearing that name sent chills down her spine. She could be over exaggerating and Charlie Smith was somebody else.

BK201 released his hold on her and sat back on the toilet. Megumi settled down to stare at him with an awkward feeling.

"Why wear that?" she asked.

He looked up at her.

"Wear what?"

"Your mask? Everybody knows what you look like, so why wear it?"

"To strike fear in my prey."

"Can you remove it for me until we leave here?"

"No!"

"No? What, scared or something? How about I remove it for you?"

"Try!"

Megumi felt a sudden fear overwhelm her. She cleared her throat, and began to reach for his mask, but stopped and backed off.

"So, um, what happened to you?" she asked. BK201 titled his head curiously. "Your death, and why do you look so young still?"

"Complicated."

"All right, so explain."

"I don't feel like it, and if you keep interrupting my thoughts, I'll kill you."

Megumi gulped and waited quietly for BK201 to devise an escape. She wondered how Saitou, Shoji, and the squad were doing at Hell's Gate.

Xxx

Saitou, Shoji, and a couple of trucks with fellow officers pulled into the destruction area just outside Hell's Gate. They stopped the vehicles behind the fence line and exited them.

The area gave Saitou the creeps. The weather was warm, but the place had a cold feeling to it. Years of decay and looters stealing salvageable things took a hold on the buildings. Cars were also stripped down to their frames.

"This is what we're going to do," spoke up Saitou. "Group one is with me, and group two is with Detective Kiski Shoji. Group one, we'll head towards the Gate. Detective Kiski, take your team east. If there is any sight of BK201, call it in, and proceed with MAJOR caution! Understood!"

"Yes, sir!" they shouted.

Saitou and Shoji headed out, guns at the ready, with the squads following. Saitou guided his men down a cracked, weeded, and dusty street that had not had a single footprint left behind in over two decades.

They checked every nook and cranny, keeping a sharp eye out for any type of movement. It felt unnerving like it had in his younger days searching for Havoc. He never liked this part of the city, and he wished he could be watching Misaki and Megumi's backs.

However, his boss gave him an order, and he was going to follow it through. That was who he was, and he would be like that until he took his last breath.

He peeked down a rugged alleyway that had seen better days before the meteor strike, and continued forward. His team shined their lights everywhere to give off an oval shaped illumination around them.

The Gate's wall began to dwarf them as they drew closer to it. The mere size of it seemed illogical to anything else that Saitou had seen: Tokyo Tower, the Eifel Tower, Sears Tower, and even the Grand Canyon.

A clanking noise to Saitou's left caught their attention. They turned towards it to shine their lights in an alley. Saitou motioned for a man near him to follow. They moved in while the other men held their lights on them.

Saitou drew cautiously on a decomposing and noxious garbage pile, as the officer checked on a slanted garbage bin against the wall.

Suddenly, a black cat jumped out of the garbage pile, meowing hysterically, and landed on Saitou's head, clawing at it.

"OUCH! Get off!" he screamed.

He grabbed the cat's fur, trying to pull it away, but its claws dug into his skin. He began yanking hard, feeling as though he was a participant in a Saw movie.

Once he pulled the cat free, he threw it down the alley, having it plop and roll on the ground a few feet, and then stood on its paws. It flicked up its tail in the air, and dashed off.

"Stupid cat!" blabbered Saitou. "Can't even land on all four!

"Eh, sir," spoke up the officer. "You all right?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

The officer pulled out a small-rectangular mirror from one of his pockets, and showed Saitou's reflection. He gasped, as he noticed he had sixteen bleeding scratch marks on his face.

"AAAAHHH! NNNOO! I can't… believe it! I… I look… hideous! How is Kirihara-san going to love me with this face!"

"Eh? Kirihara-san? Really?"

A loud bang came from behind them. They turned around, pointing their guns, and noticed an old man in his seventies standing in the garbage bin. He wore a mangled greenish coat, had long gray hair, and big sunglasses. He also had smudges on his face and probably reeked as bad as the trash container.

"Freeze!" ordered Saitou, as blood seeped into his mouth, and sprayed outwards. The old man threw up his hands. "Who are you?"

"Kohaku!" he shouted.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm living out here!"

"Live out here? Why?"

"Eh, I got nowhere else to go since I'm living out on the streets."

"Why out in the middle of a dead zone?"

"It's peaceful. I don't have to worry about some other hobo trying to take over my sleep quarters or edible food that I find."

"You have a point!" nodded and smiled Saitou, causing the officer to look at him peculiarly. They lowered their guns to let the old man put down his hands. "You seen a man in black walking around here."

"No. I haven't seen anybody in weeks since I've been out here."

"If you do, call the… eh? You can't do that. Run as fast as you can. He's a really dangerous man."

The old man nodded.

Saitou and the officer returned to the others and headed off with the old man watching them. Once they were out of sight, the old man easily hopped out of the can, placed his hands in his pockets, and headed towards the fence line.

Saitou and his team scanned around for an hour and returned to where they had left their vehicles. When they and Shoji's team returned, they noticed Saitou's car was gone.

He couldn't figure out how that could happen since the car cannot start without the person's fingerprint.

Xxx

BK201 and Megumi had left the men's bathroom twenty minutes ago. They were headed up to the seventh floor to look for an exit on top of thr roof and avoid the ruckus downstairs. Megumi had suggested to him to knock out a waiter and take his uniform.

"You forget," he had snorted. "People like Kirihara know who BK201 is."

Why did he care so much about leaving on the mask? Had he been burnt severely, maybe scarred, and why had he suggested himself in third person? BK201 wasn't making any sense. More to the point, he should be dead, so why did it even matter to know what was going on.

She thought about running for it, but she knew he would be on top of her faster than her last night's date was. Megumi wished she had not given her mother her spare gun. She could have used it to get the upper hand on BK201. Even so, knowing the history of this man, he would have expected such a thing. She had to admit, she was kind of disappointed a hot guy like him did not strip search her.

Megumi smack herself in the same spot that BK201 had slapped her earlier. BK201 glanced back at her, and asked, "You all right?"

"Fine!" she lied.

She was far from fine. How could she let such a thing enter her mind? She was not going to fall for his wit and charm like her mother had, even though he had not flaunted it at her, yet. She was stronger than that.

They turned a corner, and as they did, BK201 jumped back onto Megumi and slammed them to the ground as a katana swung over their heads.

She couldn't believe it! A ruthless killer like him had just saved her life when he didn't have to. Was it because he still needed her as a hostage, he wanted to be the one to kill her, or was it he cared for her. He was driving her crazy.

What made it worse was his muscular body on top of hers. A shiver ran down her spine, and prayed BK201 had not felt it. However, she pushed that thought aside, as she noticed his mask was before her. All she had to do was reach up a few inches and yank it off.

As she was about to reach for it, BK201 stood and helped her up. They looked back to see their attacker was Jackal.

"Are you trying to kill me or the girl?" BK201 asked.

"You," said Jackal. "If I accidently kill her, she's merely collateral damage."

"You best back away."

"Or what? You'll kill me? You forget, I beat you twenty-seven years ago, and I can do it again. You just caught me off guard."

"I wasn't talking to you!" BK201 pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. "I was talking to her."

Megumi gasped.

Why did he care if she got killed? He had threatened her several times, and here he was telling her to take cover. He was driving her up the wall, back down it, and then up it again. For a Contractor, he was thinking irrationally more than a dog thought about food.

Megumi settled behind a corner and watched the two stare at each other.

"This time I'll make sure you stay dead," said Jackal.

"This time, you won't get a handicap," taunted BK201. He pulled out one of his blades backhanded and made sparks shoot out from it. "This time, you don't have a Contractor hiding anywhere to drain my energy every second."

Jackal frowned, saying, "How'd you know that?

"He told me four years ago before I slit his throat."

Jackal gripped his sword and settled in a nervous stance with sweat pouring down his face. BK201 placed his blade before him while taking a fighting stance. Jackal's eyes twitched, showing fear from the calmness BK201 portrayed.

Jackal clinched his teeth and charged full steam at BK201. He swung with all his might to have BK201 flick away the katana not once, not twice, but three times before BK201 kicked Jackal backwards. Jackal regained his footing and attacked BK201. BK201 sidestepped and kicked him through a nearby door.

Jackal fell on the ground as pieces of wood littered the floor. He growled as he stood with shrapnel sliding off his back, and gathered his composure. BK201 waltzed into the room with Megumi following. She did not know what was wrong with her. Now would be the perfect time to escape.

"I knew if I hung around here instead of running off, you'd show up again," said BK201.

Megumi looked on startled. BK201 wasn't trying to run; he was biding his time to have another one-on-one duel. If that was the case, then she was never a hostage. Why did he need her?

Jackal settled into his kendo stance, closed his eyes while taking in a deep breath, and released it as he opened his eyes. BK201 tilted his head peculiarly, as though he was thinking Jackal's Zen moment wasn't going to make anything different.

Jackal attacked, surprising BK201, and barely avoiding a downward slash that happened to cut his coat's sleeve. Blood started dripping from it to have BK201 look at it. He pushed it aside and dodged as Jackal swung a horizontal attack, followed with an upward strike, and blocked another downward slash in a split second. The next thing BK201 noticed was Jackal's foot pounding against his stomach and stumbled back.

"It seems the playing field has evened out," pointed out Jackal.

Jackal swung his blade to have BK201 block it backhanded and pressed hard against it. It looked to Megumi that BK201 was struggling with his opponent. He fought whole-heartedly against Jackal's force, which seemed the blade would give and snap soon.

Suddenly, BK201 lightened his tension and held Jackal back effortlessly. Jackal and Megumi stared on dumbfounded.

"Just kidding," said BK201.

BK201 moved aside to have Jackal tumble forward, and then BK201 placed his left hand on his head to slam him to the ground.

"You're nowhere near my capability!" stated BK201.

His body highlighted in blue and then he electrocuted Jackal, causing him to scream hysterically. Seconds later, BK201 stopped using his power to leave Jackal's body lying motionlessly, and stood straight. In that moment, Kirihara Misaki entered the room and stared on lost for words. BK201 looked back at her, which caused Misaki to raise her gun at him.

"You're under arrest, BK201!" she shouted. "Throw down the knife and raise your hands."

BK201 kept his attention on her, as if they were having a stand off.

In a spilt second, BK201 threw his knife at the window, shattering it, and ran towards it to have Misaki fire. Unfortunately, her shot went wide left and shattered another window. BK201 leaped onto the windowsill and jumped out of the building.

Megumi ran up to the window and looked down to see no signs of the criminal. Misaki came up to stare down as well. Megumi gave her mother a displeasing expression.

"Either you lost your contact lenses, or you intentionally missed," she said.

Misaki gulped while looking away, and walked off. Megumi knew it had been a bad idea to bring her along.

Xxx

Megumi sat on a bench on the JR line platform watching trains go by. She didn't know how to deal with the night she had had. First off it was finding out about her father's heir name, BK201 being reborn, her mother mesmerized by it, getting so-called kidnapped, and then having her mother miss a chance to stop him.

It seemed nothing was going right, except her dress.

She wondered what she should do the rest of the night. Hit a club and pick up some loser, or head home and _relieve _her stress there.

Her stomach growled.

Or perhaps get something to eat since she only had bits of fruit.

"A pretty lady as yourself shouldn't be left stranded all alone in a train station," said a familiar voice. She looked to her right to see Kamui Hizumi walking towards her. He had undone his top two buttons and had untied his tie. "This seat taken?"

She shook her head and gestured for him to sit. He took it while pulling slightly up on his pant legs.

"Some night. Some party!" he said.

"Telling me!" she nodded. "Glad to see you're all right."

"Thanks. Same to you. You heading home?"

"No. I just came up here to get some fresh air to clear my head."

"I don't think a train station is a good place for that! Too much noise with the trains going by."

Megumi chuckled and smiled at him, as he gazed at her. He then noticed a bruise on her face.

"What happened?" he asked, gesturing towards it on his own face.

"Oh, nothing. I, ah, was thinking something stupid, and well, I smacked myself to get my head in the game."

"Really trying to teach yourself something, hey?"

"You could say that! You heading home?"

"Actually, to tell you the truth, I was on my way to a restaurant that's still open. I heard it serves vegan food."

"Vegan? You're a vegan?"

"No. I just like their food."

"Oh. Ah, maybe I should check it out sometime. What's it called?"

Hizumi looked at her for a second, and then said, "How about I show you and we can get something to eat together."

"You mean… a date?"

"No! I mean… if you want to look at it as that."

Megumi smiled, and said, "It's a date!"

Hizumi smiled, stood, and offered her to take his hand. She did so and, as she stood, the side of her dress ripped.

"Ah, no!" She looked down to see her dress had caught on a sharp part of the armrest. "Kanami-san's going to kill me!"

In the distance, the old man wearing the mangled green coat and big sunglasses, watched Megumi and Hizumi walk onto the next train. As soon as it departed, the old man frowned at the couple, placed his hands in his pockets, and headed down a nearby staircase.

Xxx

The next day in Yokohama, Misaki awoke to her doorbell ringing. She entered her living room and walked up to the door. She opened it to see a blond-haired woman with purple glasses and purple lipsticks staring at her with a smile.

Misaki gasped.

"Hello, Misaki," said Madam Oreille. "Or should I call you, Ichinose Yayoi?"


	11. Chapter 11

Generation New

Heaven's Gate Cannot Open for Everyone part one:

Planes touched down and took off at Narita airport continuously while crewmen worked hastily and proficiently as they could. A trolley guided a bowing 747 that had landed from South America into a dock. Within minutes, the passengers were allowed to depart it.

Amongst the group was an Indian woman with black hair, wearing a black dress suit with a pink shirt underneath it, and black high heels carrying a small grey laptop. She entered customs to stand in line for a half an hour to speak with a custom agent before being allowed through. She descended into luggage where she waited twenty minutes for her suitcase and headed for the exit.

As the Indian woman drew closer, she noticed a Caucasian man in a black suit holding a sign with the name, "Abha Chande," and walked up to him. He was medium in height, had short brown hair, and ice blue eyes.

"I am Abha," she said.

"Hello, I'm Mike Davis," he said, holding out his hand to shake hers. "I'm to drive you to your apartment in Tokyo after your long flight."

"I am in no mood for a good night's sleep." She ignored his hand and walked on. "I have work to do. Take me to New Pandora."

Mike looked down at his out stretched hand stupidly, and then with drew it to follow her.

"But, miss, my orders are to…!"

"I do not care about your orders. Ever since BK201's star reappeared, time understanding Heaven's Gate is being lost. I cannot rest until Heaven's Gate reappears."

"But, miss, what good is it to you when you haven't gotten any rest!"

She turned to face him, and said, "Do not question me. Just do what I say!"

"Yes, miss." He took her bags, and whispered, "The bosses aren't going to like this."

He guided her out to an egg-shaped blue Ford Focus, opened the hatchback to put her bags in the back, closed it, and offered for her to take the front passenger side. Mike sat behind the wheel before programming in their destination. The car pulled away from the airport to head for Tokyo.

While the car drove on the road and hopped onto the Toll way, Abha turned on her laptop to have a hologram appear and began rampaging through it.

Mike turned his attention to see what she was working on.

"Can I help you with something?" said Abha, displeased.

"Just curious," he said.

"Be curious with someone else. I do not appreciate people staring at me."

"Eh, sorry, miss."

"And stop calling me miss. It makes me feel old."

"Sorry."

Mike gazed out the window and prayed the drive wouldn't take very long. He wished he had his iPad Series VIII to keep him busy, but it was against work policy to have anything like that on work time. He wasn't allowed to use his cell phone unless it was an emergency. To him, it was an emergency. He had a rude and cruel passenger that he wanted to toss out of his car.

Twenty minutes later, the huge Ferris wheel came into view, as well as Tokyo's checkpoint. They drove up to a booth where an officer waited for them.

"Where are you heading?" the officer asked.

Mike opened his mouth to speak.

"That is none of your concern!" barked Abha, still working on her laptop.

Mike looked at her startled for saying such a thing while the officer's eyes slanted.

"I beg your pardon?" the officer asked.

"I am on a tight schedule and I do not need you to butt into my affairs," she said. "Stand aside and let us pass already."

The officer placed his hands on his holster, and said, "Both of you please step out of the car."

Mike was about to, but Abha grabbed his shirt to keep him seated.

"I want to speak with your manager."

"Very well." The officer clicked on his CB on his shoulder. "Sir, I have a lady over here that would like to speak with you."

"_I'll be over there in a minute," _said a voice from the CB.

The officer looked at Mike, and said, "If you could turn on your vehicle and have it pull over…"

"We will do no such thing. We will wait here!"

"Miss, you're holding up traffic!"

"They can wait, like I am!"

The officer rolled his eyes and stepped away from the car. Moments later, the manager appeared. He was a scrawny man and wore a blue coat with the name, Gibbons, on it and blue kaki pants with white tennis shoes.

"What's the problem?" he asked.

"You people holding me up with stupid questions! We already showed our passes. Is that not good enough?"

"It's standard procedures to ask these questions, miss. If you could just tell us your destination, we will gladly send you on your way."

"You need to change your procedures! It is ridiculous! I am a guest in this country, and I do not appreciate this treatment! I have done no crime, and I do not wish to be treated like a criminal!"

"Miss, you misunderstand. We don't think of you as a criminal. Everybody that comes through this checkpoint is asked these questions. If you would…"

"Do not tell me what to do!"

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to step out of the car."

Abha pulled out her phone, dialed a number, and placed it to her ear.

"Yes, Prime Minister Chaplin, I have a man holding me up at the checkpoint." She was quiet for a second. "Gibbons! Yes, I will wait."

Gibbon's phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, hit the speakerphone, and placed it to his ear.

"Yes, this is him," he said. "Yes… Yes… Sir, if… I understand, sir." He hung up the phone. "Let them go, officer!"

"But, sir!" shouted the officer.

"No butts! I've got the Prime Minister breathing down my neck at the moment!"

"Yes, sir." He looked at Mike, avoiding Abha's glare. "You may go."

"Eh, thank you," said Mike.

He hit the on button to have the car drive into the city. Abha continued messing around on her laptop, making it seem as though nothing had happened.

Another half an hour, they drove into New Pandora, and pulled into a parking lot. Mike and Abha exited the car, Mike grabbing her bags, and entered New Pandora's building.

In the hallway stood an old dark-skinned man with gray hair. He had a hunch in his stance, wore white robes, and stood three-quarters as tall as the hallway. He walked up to Abha and held out his hand to shake hers.

"Welcome, Miss Chande," he said. "I'm Doctor Marcus Woodblock."

"I would like to be shown to the lab at once," she said, ignoring his hand.

Marcus withdrew his hand, nodded, and turned around to guide Mike and her down the hall.

"We're pleased to have your service here at New Pandora," continued Marcus. "We hope to learn the things you have learned in South America."

"Save with the dispense. I am here for one thing only. I require access to all of your technology without any complaints, and to be left alone. I do not want to be disturbed for anything what so ever. Whenever I want something, you and your team are to give it to me."

"Yes, whatever you need."

"Good! I require the meteor shard you had retrieved again from Hell's Gate ten years ago."

"The meteor shard?" he asked, while turning on his heels to glare at her. "I'm sorry, but that's…"

"I am in no mood to play games, Marcus," she bellowed.

Mike gulped, knowing what was coming next.

"Doctor Marcus, if you would please," corrected Marcus.

"No, I will not. Do not push me to what you want. You will do what I say, or I will have your job taken from you. I am well acquainted with the Prime Minister. One call from him, and your medical license will go up in flames."

"Yes, Miss Chande."

"Do not call me miss! I hate that word!"

"Yes, ma'am."

Marcus thought she would be mad at him for using ma'am, but she instead continued walking down the hall. Marcus hurried along with Mike following.

"What a beach," whispered Mike.

They arrived at the lab. It had enough space to fit five double-decker buses and had different sets of tables lined up with instruments and computer gadgets on top. Marcus guided her over to a table in the far left corner.

"This is your area," he said. "You…"

"I do not like it!" she shouted, getting the other scientists attention. "I do not want to be around everybody. I wish for an office of my own."

"But, ma'am…"

"No buts. My own office or it is your license."

Marcus looked at her dumbfounded, nodded, and guided her into an office nearby. The room was spacious to house one-dozen workers, and had the same equipments as the other scientist had had at his and her disposal on a wooden desk.

"Not good enough."

"But this is the only remaining free office I have left."

"Then I will take yours."

"M—my… office?"

"Is that a problem?"

"NO!" yelped Marcus. "I mean, no. It's the office on the other side. I'll just move my stuff in here."

"Good. Have somebody show your servant to my room to drop off my bags. I want to get to work right away. Have somebody bring me the shard."

"Yes, ma'am. Mike, take her stuff to her room. Section C, room 101."

"Yes, sir," he nodded.

Mike walked off, whispering, "What a beach!"

Abha walked over to the office with the scientists giving her a perplexed look. If they kept it up, she might have them fired. She entered the office, which was twice the size as the other, had more equipment at hand, and an elegant oak desk. She sat down and placed her laptop on it to continue working.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Abha frowned at it, praying for the person who was disturbing her had good reason, and stood to walk over to open the door. A tan-skinned woman stood before her holding a small case.

"Here is the shard you asked, ma'am," she said.

"About time! Took you people long enough," said Abha, and took the shard. "You can leave me now."

"Yes, ma'am."

The tanned woman closed the door, as Abha walked over to her desk to remove the shard from the case. She set it by her laptop and began scanning it. Diagnostics overwhelmed her computer, as Abha swarmed through it.

Back in South America, she spent hours researching Heaven's Gate and tried to go on the search for the meteor shard that was left somewhere in the jungle. However, due to the continuous war, she and many other scientists were authorized to stay on the bases around the vicinity.

The shard was never found.

The day Heaven's Gate disappeared was the day she had happened to have the day off. Her colleagues weren't so lucky. She wanted to find a way to bring back Heaven's Gate and she believed the meteor shard and BK201's star were the keys. Abha had a theory, if she could somehow block BK201's signal, Heaven's Gate would reappear.

Her theory had a flaw. Twenty-nine years ago, when his star had disappeared, Heaven's Gate didn't return. She couldn't figure out why at first, but she believed since the host was still alive, it still meddled with the shard and the Gate. However, that theory was now tossed aside. It still gave her hope though.

Abha had done countless tests on Schrader's device that had stripped BK201 of his power, but she found no hard evidence of what kept the shard active.

After looking through the diagnostics on the shard, Abha gave up. She then started looking through BK201's file that the Astronomy lab had recorded since the star had appeared. She noticed the star shined the brightest after Heaven's Gate disappeared. She was also displeased at the little information gathered on the star.

Abha pick up the phone, dialed the Astronomy lab, and had an image of a short Japanese woman appear.

"_This is the Astronomy lab, I'm Emiko."_

"You people there are so lazy!" stated Abha.

"_Excuse me? Who do you think you are?"_

"Who I am is none of your concern. Tell me why there is so little evidence on BK201's case!"

"_Because he's a mysterious person! What has been filed is all there is to know about him."_

"And why has there not been more research done on him? The most notorious Contractor there is, and there is hardly information on him."

"_Talk to Kanami Ishizaki about that! She was the one in charge of the lab before it was closed down after Harvest was killed by BK201."_

"I will do that. In the mean time, you better get what you can gather on BK201 from this point on, or your assistant will be taking your job!"

"_Exc…?"_

Abha hung up the phone. She dialed another number to have a secretary answer it.

"_Can I…"_

"Get me Kanami Ishizaki in here like yesterday!" demanded Abha.

"_Yes, ma'am!"_

The secretary hung up. Abha went back to her work, trying to figure out what she could with little information she had on hand.

A few minutes later, her phone rang. She hit the button to have the secretary reappear.

"_Sorry, ma'am, but Kanami-san can't make it in until tomorrow," _she said. _"She's all the way in…"_

"I do not want excuses! I want results! I do not have time to wait on other people. If you do not do what I ask next time, you will be taking fast-food delivery calls! Understood!"

"_Yes, ma'am!"_

"Good! When Kanami Ishizaki arrives tomorrow, send her to my office!"

The secretary nodded and cut off communications. Abha went back to her work. She frantically typed out results she could gather, but it felt like she had not scratched the surface of the iceberg that had sunk the Titanic.

She looked at her clock and noticed it was two in the morning, deciding it was time to call it a night. She paged someone to guide her to her room.

Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at her door. Abha frowned, stood from her desk while taking the shard, and headed over to it. She opened the door to reveal a Japanese worker in blue work clothes with messy black hair smiling at her.

"Hello, my name is Kamui Hizumi," he said. "I'll be showing you to your room."

"What took you so long to get here?"

"Eh, sorry about that. I was on the other side of New Pandora when I got the page. I ran over here as fast as I could."

"Run faster!"

"Yes, ma'am. This way, please."

Hizumi guided her out of the lab and left down the hallway. They turned right at a section called A, then left, left, right, left, right and left. Before Abha knew it, Hizumi stopped, looking dumbfounded, and said, "I'm lost!"

"Lost? Do you not know where you are going?" she asked.

"Sorry, but I just started working here last week." He smiled at her, stupidly.

Abha pulled out her phone and dialed a number to have Marcus's face appear.

"_Madam Chande, what can I help you with at this late hour?"_

"You need to send someone to Section A around 201," she said. "And you need to fire Kamui Hizumi."

"Eh?" questioned Hizumi

"_Yes, ma'am. Consider it done."_

Abha turned off her phone and glared back at Hizumi, saying, "New Pandora does not need your service anymore."

"Wait! Please don't! I need this job! My payment for my apartment is ridiculously expensive! And plus, I want to get my new girlfriend a lovely gift!"

"That is not my problem. Goodbye."

Hizumi stared at her lost for words, slumped his shoulder, and turned to leave. Moments later, Mike Davis appeared, his eyes widening, and said, "Oh hell no! I quit!" and off in the direction he had come from.

Abha had to wait another twenty minutes before a woman with red hair came to guide her to her room. As they traveled through Section B at room 201, they passed a man in blue work clothes wearing a red baseball cap mopping the floor. He eyed Abha for a second, causing her to glance at him from a weird vibe, and having him look away.

Five minutes later, Abha entered her room. She wasn't pleased with her room, saying it was too small, and demanded another room.

Xxx

The next day, Kanami Ishizaki was guided into New Pandora. She still held her figure and kept a face that guys wouldn't look away from. A lot of men still wanted to get with her, calling her the queen of the Cougars throughout Yokohama.

She entered Abha's office and sat across from her. Abha glared at her with Kanami holding her composure. She was given a heads up concerning this woman, but she wasn't scared of her since she had nothing to lose. She had been working at a TCS station off a freeway that went through Yokohama, making enough to get her by in life. Kanami wasn't married and had no kids of her own.

"Why did you not gain a lot of information on BK201?" said Abha, bluntly.

"Because there wasn't a whole lot to get," said Kanami.

"Why did you not do a diagnostic test on his star?"

"Diagonstic test? How do we do such a thing like that?"

"Ping it!"

"Ping it? Like submarines do? How?"

"You never thought of doing such a thing before? And you call yourself a scientist?"

"Not anymore! Thanks to your Government!"

"If I recall, the CIA took over after the lab was shut down."

"Are we done here? I'd like to get to Yokohama and get back to work so I don't lose anymore hours!"

"I do not think so. You are stuck here to figure out how to block BK201's signal."

"I… what? I don't think so!"

"You do not have a choice. As of now, you do not work for Traffic Control System anymore. You were fired as soon as you stepped through New Pandora."

Kanami's hand turned into a fist, stood, and socked Abha across the face. Abha looked on startled, stood, and opened her mouth to say something, but she held it back. Kanami was hoping she would fire her, but it seemed she needed her intelligence.

"You will pay for that!" threatened Abha.

"And it'll be worth it."

Xxx

Kanami begged to be sent to the Astronomy lab to do her research on BK201, but Abha refused it. Kanami pleaded that if she could work there, she could get better results than what Emiko could, and faster. Abha believed Kanami wanted to get as far away from her as possible, which was partially true.

Abha demanded Kanami to stay, and if she didn't, she would be out of a home.

"Go ahead!" Kanami had said. "I'll live with my friend until I find another place!"

"If that is the case, then your friend will lose her place as well," Abha had challenged.

"Leave Misaki out of this! This is between you and me!"

"I will do no such thing. Do as I say, or you and your friend lose your homes."

Kanami had caved in, and set up a holochat to discuss how to ping a star.

"_Ping? What nonsense are you thinking about now?" _Emiko asked.

"Look, I'm in a tight pinch here, and I need you to do what I say, or hell will rise from the ashes," pleaded Kanami.

"_You're not my boss, Kanami. I will do no such thing until you explain what's going on!"_

Kanami opened her mouth to speak.

"Is there a problem, Ishizaki?" Abha asked.

"No problem."

"_Yes there is!" _shouted Emiko, causing Kanami to place her hand on her forehead. _"I don't appreciate you and Kanami stepping all over me! I want you both to back off and let me run my lab the way I want to!"_

"If that is how you see things." Abha pulled out her phone while hitting the speakerphone, dialed a number, and placed the receiver to her ear. "Yes, sir. I would like the person who is in charge of the Astronomy lab to be fired… Thank you, Minister." She hung up and looked at Emiko. "The CIA will no longer need your service."

"_WHAT? You just can't fire me!" _

"I just did. Ishizaki. You and the new supervisor will continue on."

Emiko looked on confused, and then realized her phone was ringing. She answered it to receive the news she had already been told, and to let Cho know she was in charge.

Kanami and Cho began the work, relaying information back and forth, as Emiko walked out of the lab in the background. Abha returned to her office and continued her research on the meteor shard.

Hours went by with no luck on Cho and Kanami's end, irritating Abha, and ordered them to keep on working that lasted until midnight. She wanted them to continue, but she allowed them to get some rest so that they were refreshed in the morning. She thought about having the nightshift carry on the work, but they weren't as experienced as Kanami.

However, Abha worked on through the night. She was determined to find a way to block BK201's signal. She needed one clue to do it, and she would do whatever it took.

At quarter past two in the morning, the power went out. Abha cursed, not because of the loss of power, but because she hadn't saved any of her work.

She stood to exit her office and see if anybody else was experiencing what she was, but everybody had turned in for the night. Suddenly, the back up power turned on. Abha walked up to a desk and hit an emergency button on a phone.

"_Security!"_ said a voice.

"This is Abha Chande. I am here in the lab alone with the back up power on."

"_Understood! We'll send someone down immediately."_

Abha returned to her office to impatiently wait.

Suddenly, she heard some machinery whining. Abha grabbed her meteor shard and exited her office, realizing the noise was coming from down the hall. She headed down it, trying to figure where it was coming from, and noticed it was nearby a room.

She grabbed a push broom that was leaning up against the wall and entered the room while holding the broom over her head.

"Who is there?" she shouted.

An old man in blue work clothes, wearing a cap and big sunglasses, jumped in fright. He dropped a long hose that happened to be hooked to a vacuum cleaner.

"Oh, woh!" he shouted. "Please don't hurt me! I'm only the night janitor!"

"What are you doing?"

"Eh, vacuuming?" he said, stupidly.

"Why here?"

"Because this is on my scheduled area to clean."

"You were not here last night, so why are you here now?"

"Eh, because I had to clean up the other side. New Pandora is no ordinary sized building. Can… can you please lower the broom."

"Do not tell me what to do!"

"All right, all right. No problem," he said while waving his hands up and down. "I'll just go somewhere else to clean."

"No you do not! You will stand there and wait."

"Eh, can I turn off my vacuum cleaner? It might blow a fuse again."

"Your vacuum cleaner did that?"

"It does that once in a while. So, can I turn it off?"

Abha thought for a second, and said, "No. Leave it on."

"Eh? Why?"

"Do not question me! I do not like it!"

The old man nodded.

Moments later, a security guard arrived, making Abha look away from the old man, and said, "About time you got here!"

"Sorry, ma'am," he said. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes. You can escort this old man out of here, and tell him not to bother to show up for work tomorrow since he will be fired."

"What old man, ma'am?"

Abha's eyes burned with fury at the security guard, turned to face the old man, and said, "HIM!" However, he wasn't there. "What? Where did he go?"

"Ma'am?"

"Just shut up!" She walked back into her office with the guard behind her, opened her safe under her desk, and placed the shard inside it before closing and locking the door. "Lead me to Marcus's room!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Abha followed the security guard displeased. How dare an old man disrupt her work, vanish from her sight, and expect to get away with it. There was hell to pay!


	12. Chapter 12

Generation New

Heaven's Gate Cannot Open for Everyone part two:

Abha trotted down the hallway with security guards behind her. She stepped before Doctor Marcus Woodblock's room and knocked on the door. After waiting five seconds with no answer, she slammed her fist on it. She continued pounding on it, louder than the previous, and waiting twenty seconds before the door opened.

"Professor Abha Chande?" Marcus mumbled half awake. "It's almost three in the morning. What are you doing here?"

"Do not question why I am up still!" she barked, pointing her right finger at him. "I had one of your staff members interrupt my work, and then he ran off! I want him fired!"

"What's his name?"

"He did not give me one. All I know is that he is an old man in his seventies or eighties, has gray hair and wears big square glasses, and he said he was scheduled to clean up that area."

"I'll get my men on it right away. In the mean time, why don't you turn in for the…" Abha glared at him. "Eh, or do whatever you want."

"That is what I thought."

Abha headed off with her security guard following. After walking halfway back down the hall, she turned to face her shadow.

"I do not need you to follow me around as if I were a child," she said.

"But, miss, I want to make sure you get back safely," said the guard.

"I do not need protection from an old man!"

She turned on her heels and continued on. To her satisfaction, her shadow stayed stationary. She entered an elevator, hit a floor button as the door closed, and rode it down a few levels.

Abha had had it with New Pandora and its staff. They were ignorant, insufficient, and in her way. They couldn't keep up with her lead, and it seemed they did not care how important her job was.

The elevator door opened.

She exited it to turn left to walk down the corridor, made her way around a few corners before stepping in front of her room and pressed her thumb to the thumb pad to open the door. Abha entered her room, walked into the bathroom while removing her clothes, and showered.

Ten minutes later, she turned off the showerhead, grabbed a towel to dry off with, and wrapped it around her body. She exited the bathroom to step into her bedroom, and fitted on clean panties, a silk nightshirt and pants.

Abha lay in her bed while turning off her light and closed her eyes to fall into a deep sleep.

Within an hour of her dream, a noise came from her living room, waking her. She turned on her light, as she departed her bed, entered a pitch-black living room, and flicked on the light to see nothing was out of the ordinary.

Abha moved around the living room while scanning it for any signs of motion or anything else. She noticed her door was ajar, approached it, and peeked out into the hall to see if there was anybody.

There was nothing.

She cursed while slamming the door shut, returned to her room while turning off the light, and cuddled under her sheets. She believed she must have forgotten to close her door properly and had been hearing things.

In the darkened corner stood a figure that wore a white mask with a purple lightening bolt. The masked figure pulled out a split double-edged blade, walked up to the bed, and raised the blade to strike it down.

Xxx

Abha awoke with a startle to see she was in her office. She blinked stupidly, looked over at her clock, and saw it was eight in the morning. She must have fallen asleep at her desk last night and dreamt about the power going out.

And yet, it felt so real.

She stood from her desk, exited her office, and located Marcus standing near Kanami. As she walked towards him he noticed her approaching and turned to smile at her.

"Good morning, ma'am. Sleep well?" he asked.

"Eh, no," she replied, feeling a little light-headed. "Eh, did something… bad, happen last night?"

"No." He shrugged. "Just my wife calling me four in the morning."

"Oh! Eh, nothing else?"

Marcus narrowed his eyes. "You all right, Ma'am?"

"I… I had a bad dream. It… Never mind. Ishizaki, any progress on BK201's star?"

"Sorry, but no," replied Kanami. "Chou and I are trying our best to do what you ask."

"Not good enough! I want results! Work harder!"

"How about you give it a try and figure this crap out!"

"I beg your pardon, Ishizaki? How dare you speak to me like that?"

"I dare because I got nothing to lose! I already lost my other job because of you, I have to rely on this one, and I got the feeling that this won't be a permanent job! So no matter what, I'm at a dead end!"

Abha glared at her. She hated when people outsmarted her. She swore though, Kanami was going to pay for hitting and back mouthing her. It was inexcusable in her eyes.

She turned on her heels so she could return to her office, and sat behind her desk to continue her work.

Abha was pleased she had only dreamt the disaster that had happened. However, it was still haunting her wellbeing. It wouldn't escape her mind, which was distracting her thoughts and she couldn't work.

Why did she have a dream that had involved BK201? Was it because of her hard work that she was doing to rid him, guilt of her colleagues' death and she was still alive, or was it an event that was still bound to happen in the future? Perhaps it was her brain playing tricks on her.

Whatever the case was, she had to let it go!

Suddenly, she noticed her meteor shard was missing. She began searching the top of her desk, the drawers, and along the floor, but there was no sign of it. She then remembered in her dream she had put it in her safe. She opened it to see it lying peacefully.

It had been a dream, right?

Xxx

Around noon, Abha stood to exit her office again to freshen up somewhat. When she did, she noticed a majority of the lab personnel were missing: including Marcus and Kanami.

She walked up to a staff member and asked, "Where is everybody?"

"Lunch break, ma'am," said a brunette male.

"Lunch break? Did I give permission for people to stop working?"

"But, ma'am, it's required by law to have breaks at least every four hours."

"I do not care! How long is your break?"

"One hour. The rest of us will be taking ours when the other team returns so that there's no hiccups."

"You and the others will do no such thing!"

"What? But, ma'am, you can't do that!"

"I can and I have!"

"But… but… I'm hungry!"

"Then eat at your desk!"

Abha left his side to step into the hallway to head towards the cafeteria. She hurried along, ignoring other scientists that were waving his or her hands, bowing, or saying, "Good afternoon!"

She reached the cafeteria moments later to see Kanami and the others sitting around a table gossiping about something, and stopped as they noticed Abha. She frowned at them, walked up to the counter, and began picking out different vegetables. Once she gathered her food and vitamin water, she approached her ignorant colleagues.

"This is uncalled for," she said, as she stepped before them.

"What is?" Kanami asked, standing up.

"Taking a break when there is work to be done."

"If that's the case, why are you here? Why aren't you working instead of taking a break?"

"I am heading back to my office, as all of you people should be doing right now!"

Kanami glared at Abha who didn't back down. She wasn't afraid of anything, especially her.

"What's your problem?" Kanami asked. "Beat as a little girl or something, and you figure if you boss everybody around, it'll make you feel better?"

Abha frowned, her lips trembling in the process, and said, "You do not know me, so do not go and judge me!"

"But it's all right to judge everybody else!"

"Yes!"

Kanami frowned, bit her bottom lip as her fist clenched, and said, "I need a cigarette!"

She stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving her co-workers to deal with her. Abha glared at them, which made them stand while gathering up their food, and headed back to the lab.

Abha did the same, and as she was half to the lab, she noticed a familiar face walking towards her.

"Did I not fire you?" she asked, looking at Kamui Hizumi displeased.

"Ah, yeah, but I'm still lost," he said.

"You have been lost?"

Abha pulled out her phone and dialed a number. A man in a suit appeared, saying, "_Security."_

"Send someone to hallway B and escort Hiziki from the premises."

"_Yes, ma'am."_

"Hizumi," he said.

Abha closed her phone while looking back at him, and said, "I do not care. Do not move from here."

"Yes, ma'am."

Abha walked off, not giving Hizumi a second look.

Once she returned to the lab, she continued her work.

Kanami returned thirty minutes later.

Hours went by like seconds. Nobody gaining any ground on anything, which was infuriating Abha. She couldn't figure out how the meteor shard worked. She checked everything about it, but she came up with no clues on how one Contractor could use it and make Heaven's Gate disappear like David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty vanish.

Her mind drifted onto what Kanami had said.

Yes, she had been beaten when she was a child by her stepfather. Her biological father had died in the Heaven's Gate war before she had ever been born. Her mother, a petty woman, had spent most of her days drinking due to depression, and came across her stepfather when she was five. They spent five years together before tying the knot, but during that time, Abha had experienced most of the abuse. It was always where somebody wouldn't see the bruises.

As he would beat her, he would be severely drunk, and he would constantly call her, "Little Miss Prissy." That was one of the many reasons why she didn't like being called miss all the time.

When she turned eighteen, she left for good, never looking back. The last thing she heard about her mother and stepfather was that they were arrested for disturbing the peace. Being the next of kin, the police were entitled to contact her. She refused to pay for bail and told the officer to do whatever they wanted to them.

Abha placed her hand where Kanami had hit her earlier. She was surprised a bruise hadn't formed, and to her amazement after just realizing it, it wasn't hurting. Maybe all the abuse she had taken as a kid had made her immune to it.

She shook away the thought and continued working.

The day fell into night, as the scientists turned in. Abha checked to see if Kanami was still present, but apparently she had left hours ago. She needed to find something on her to keep her on a short leash. She looked into who her friends were, noticing Kirihara Misaki was one, and figured to threaten her job, but she had found out that that Kirihara Misaki had just quit her job.

Nobody had heard from her either.

There was Kirihara's daughter, Itashi Megumi, but that wouldn't work since her father was one of Minister Chaplin's cabinet members.

Kanami had no kids, wasn't married, and all her relatives had already past away. It seemed Kanami didn't have anything to lose. Maybe she could threaten her with her smoking privileges.

Abha looked at her clock to see it was two in the morning. She sighed, shutdown her laptop while grabbing the meteor shard, and exited her office. The whole lab was dark and empty. Her workers were pushing her buttons to where she made a mental note to scold them tomorrow morning.

She left the lab and headed back to her apartment room. She passed a room and saw Marcus messing with some telescopes. Abha looked at him peculiarly, and entered the room.

"What are you doing?" she demanded to know.

"Fixing this telescope," he said.

"What is the point of a telescope? The stars above us are fake!"

"I know, but my dad had always looked up at the stars, and before the real stars vanished, he always took me out at night in the country side to look up at them. I still do it to this day."

"It is pointless. There is no rational reason behind that."

Marcus peeked around the telescope to look up at her with a perplexed look.

"You're sounding like a Contractor, ma'am."

"Maybe I am thinking more rational."

He nodded, and noticed the shard in her hand.

"How about we head up to the roof and check it out ourselves, and then you can decide if it's rational or not," he said.

"Very well," she agreed, but only to prove her point, and not because someone told her to.

Marcus stood and grabbed a telescope that was missing a lens on the front. Abha frowned, and said, "Not going to do any good if it is missing a piece."

"I have a little trick to show you, if you don't mind." He smiled.

Abha narrowed her eyes. Normally she would have lectured him for messing with her, but curiosity was getting the best of her.

They ascended to the roof where Marcus set up the telescope and pointed it in a particular angle. He looked over at Abha and then down at the meteor shard.

"Ah, if you don't mind, I was wondering if I could use the meteor shard for a second," he said.

"Why?"

"It's a surprise."

Abha didn't like surprises. She had gotten too many when she was a kid almost every day concerning her stepfather. However, she wanted to see where Marcus was going with his little experiment, and handed over the shard.

Marcus began to fit the shard into the top area, and once it was secured, he looked into it to readjust any mishaps. He pulled away, and gestured for her to look into it. She frowned, and did so.

As she gazed into the telescope, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Imagine what you have seen in books about the real sky," said Marcus. "Imagine that there really is a moon looking down at us."

Abha sighed and did so. Nothing changed at first, but then it seemed as though the fake stars vanished and the Big Dipper appeared. She gasped at the sight, pulled away from the telescope to look up with the naked eyes to see the fake stars, and then back in the telescope to stare at something she had never seen in her life.

"H—How? How is this possible?" she asked.

"One of many things," began Marcus. "Either the shard is allowing us to gaze at the real stars, or Hell's Gate since unexplained things have happened here, or both."

"How… how did you come across this? Why did you not show me this before?"

"An old colleague showed me, and an old colleague of his showed him. I didn't tell you at first, because well, you don't like being bossed around. I'm kind of surprised you let me show you this."

"This… this could be an answer to something! Have you studied any of these things?"

"I've tried, but I'm at a loss."

Suddenly, Marcus cringed in pain. Abha looked up from the telescope and saw Marcus with blood pouring down his white suite, and a blade sticking out his chest. The blade retracted from it to have Marcus drop to his knees, and then fall forward to have his blood spill everywhere.

Behind him stood the man from her dream holding a bloody blade. She screamed and ran towards the edge of the building where an emergency escape ladder awaited. She began descending it, hurrying as fast as she could, and gazed up to see BK201 peeking over the edge to watch her.

Once she reached ground level, she ran towards the entrance into the building. However, BK201 flew down before her, making her halt in her tracks while screaming, and run off into Hell's Gate.

She didn't know where she was going or what to do. She was at a loss. Abha felt she was ten years old again looking for a way to hide from the big bad wolf, but there was nowhere for her to go. It was pointless to try and stand up to a man like that since she knew she would be dead before she even thought about attacking him.

Abha came up to a garbage container, hopped into it, and closed the lid. She slowed her breathing in hopes of fooling her predator. She heard footsteps approaching, which made her hold her breath. It stopped for a second, continued on, and slowly faded out.

Once she knew the coast was cleared, she hopped out of the can and ran for the entrance.

However, she only made it twenty yards before she came across a body lying not far from where she stood. Knowing that there shouldn't be any human remains left in Hell's Gate, she approached it.

As she drew closer, she could tell it was a woman's figure. Once she was upon it, she gasped. The person looked like her. The person also had a knife wound in her chest.

"It's upsetting that you have to see that," said a voice. She turned around to see the masked man standing behind her. "I wanted to make sure you didn't succumb to it."

"What is the meaning of this?" she asked. "You made a copy of my body, made it look like I had been killed, and then kidnap me?"

"You're already dead."

"What?"

Abha gazed at the corpse, and then noticed the bruise on her face where Kanami had punched her.

"You're nothing more than a Doll."

Abha quivered, as she stared back at BK201, and babbled, "No, not possible. Those things that I dreamt were… real? It really happened?"

"Pai!" Abha's eyes dimmed, as her hands fell to her side. "Follow me."

The Doll that was once Abha nodded, and followed BK201 to the secret exit.

Xxx

Madam Oreille stood in a secluded area in Shinjuku. A dark-skinned man walked up to her holding a device.

"It's not nice to keep a woman waiting, Mr. Woodblock," she said.

"Sorry, Madam Oreille," he said. "I needed to clean up from the pigs blood mess first."

"No one saw you, right?"

"No." Marcus handed over the meteor shard. "May I ask? How did you know she would follow me up to the roof?"

"Because it was in her program to do so."

"Why all this running around to begin with? Why the Doll? There was no reason to kill her."

"There is if she cracked BK201's secret."

"BK201's secret? What do you mean? What do you know, Madam Oreille?"

Madam Oreille smiled, and said, "If I told you, then I would have to have my BK201 kill you."

"What will happen to the Doll?"

"Terminated. I have enough as it is."

"Terminated? You can't do that!" He said, shaking his head.

"Have a soft spot for her? Mr. Woodblock, I didn't know you cared."

"No… I don't. It, it just feels… wrong."

"Mr. Woodblock. It would be bad for my business to have a Doll version of Doctor Abha walking around after New Pandora's men finds her body."

Marcus nodded.

"Now what?" he asked.

"Continue your work at New Pandora like nothing has happened. And make sure you pull Miss Ishizaki off the whole pinging thing on Mr. BK201's star. I don't need the Foreign Affairs busting down his door."

"Yes, Madam."

Madam Oreille turned on her heels and left with Marcus watching.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Generation New

A Wandering Soul Awaiting for A Lone Reaper part one:

A young teenage couple walked down the streets of Shinjuku in the late hours, breaking curfew to sneak off and have intimacy in a secluded area. They passed an old rundown apartment complex, walked across a bridge with a dried-up ravine, and turned a few corners.

The couple was dressed in their school clothes, both holding bags, and feeling a little sheepish.

"Hey, Yoshi, I don't know," said the girl.

"Oh, come on. It'll be fine," said the boy. "Are you worried about getting pregnant? I brought condoms."

"N—no, it's not that. I… it just don't feel right, yet."

The boy stopped and turned around to face her as he placed his hands on her shoulder.

"Come on, Miyuki. You love me, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then let's do it if you do."

"All right, but where?"

"There's this smoke shop not far from here that leaves its window open all the time. We could sneak in and do it there."

"All… all right."

The young couple continued walking, turned another corner, and came up to the smoke shop. Like Yoshi had said, the window was left open. He climbed through it, unlocked the back, and allowed Miyuki in. The boy began to kiss her and unbuttoned her shirt.

"Wait!" said Miyuki, as she pushed away.

"What is it?"

"I… I don't know. Maybe this is a bad idea. Perhaps we shouldn't."

"Oh, come on! Miyuki, I love you, and you love me. This is just another step to show our love."

"I do love you, Yoshi, but I just don't feel right. This is a big step for me."

"I know, and it is for me too. Tell you what. How about we undress ourselves."

Miyuki thought for a second and then nodded. Yoshi unbuttoned his shirt to remove it and slipped off his pants and briefs. Never seen one, the girl blushed while she finished unbuttoning her shirt, but left it on, as she snapped her head around to look out the window.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

"No. You're just being nervous. Take your shirt and bra off."

"What?" She looked back at him baffled. "What did you say?"

"Oh, ah, I mean… eh…?"

"You… don't want to do it with me because you love me, do you?"

Yoshi rolled his eyes, and said, "Oh, just come on! Just stop being a bitch and take your clothes off!"

Miyuki slapped him; buttoned up her shirt and left. Yoshi cursed, knowing that his buddies at school were going to make fun of him. Although, he could start a rumor he had slept with her and nobody will know the truth. She was going to wish she had had sex with him.

He fitted on his briefs, pants and shirt, and exited the smoke shop. Suddenly, Miyuki came running back towards him scared out of her wits.

"Don't go that way!" she yelled. "There's something spooky over there."

"Yeah, all right. You trying to get back at me, aren't you? If I go the other way, there's going to be a cop that's going to arrest me."

"No! I'm not kidding!"

"Whatever!"

"Fine, your funeral!"

Miyuki ran off in the other direction. Yoshi shook his head and headed home where he was going to have to take care of his business. It really bites. He was so close at getting laid, and she had to catch on. Oh well, there was her best friend, and she was hotter.

He turned a corner and stopped in his tracks stupefied. Before him on the bridge stood a glowing figure that wore a tight white jump suit, had purple eyes, and light fluttering blue hair.

"What the hell?" questioned Yoshi, his eyes as wide as a baseball.

Scared out of his wits, the boy turned around and scrambled back towards the smoke shop. He turned a few corners, and then to his luck, he ran into a police officer.

"What are you doing out her, son?" he asked.

"I was… just walking around…"

"Bust into a smoke shop?"

"I… what? No! Wait? The Smoke shop? But I didn't hear anything go off?"

"That's because it was a silent alarm. You're coming with me since it's past curfew."

"All right, fine! Let's just get out of here, fast!"

"What's the rush, kid? Do something bad, and you don't want me to catch what it is?"

The glowing figure turned the corner, surprising the boy and cop.

"No, that's what I'm concerned about!"

The cop and boy headed off with the figure watching them. The figure headed back to the bridge and stared up at one of the rundown apartment rooms.

"Hei."

Xxx

The next day, at Kayanuma Kiko's Private Eye office, her friend sat at her computer typing away. They had finished a case and she was transferring the money they had received into their account. She was always left with the paperwork while Kiko went out and celebrated at the local bars. She would like to go out as well, but Kiko ordered her to take care of their finances. Perhaps she should quit and start her own Private Eye business. That way, she could get a voice-activated computer to speak in her report instead of typing. Kiko was too cheap and somewhat old fashion to purchase one.

Kiko's friend thought about going to work with Gai to get back at Kiko, but she had a funny feeling Gai would spend a majority of his time investigating her chest.

Suddenly, the front door busted open, having Kiko chime, "EUREKA!" from it.

Kiko's friend turned around in her chair while pushing back her glasses, and said, "Would you stop doing that! I just had the door fixed the last time you knocked it off its hinges!"

"And it'll be worth it this time!" smiled Kiko. "Thanks to my resources at the local Hologram office, I just got my hands on a picture with Kirsi on it! And the best part is, she's here in Tokyo!"

"Is that so?" questioned Kiko's friend, as she jumped out of her seat, cheerfully while her breasts bounced.

Kiko walked over to her friend and showed her a picture of a girl with glowing blue hair dressed in a white-like space suit.

"Oh, it looks like she's cosplaying as Izanami!"

"That's what I said! She hasn't forgotten what I had taught her!"

"Where is this?"

"Here! Shinjuku! Over by Misuzu's old complex! I'm heading over there right now, and I'd figure we head over to the Homerun House to see if Li-san showed up!"

"Misuzu's old complex? That place is haunted! Count me out!" Kiko's friend returned to her seat to continue her work.

"Ehhh?" questioned Kiko, placing her hands on her hips and tilting her head forward while slanting her eyelids. "You don't believe that crap, do you?"

"Yes, I do."

"Ne, if you don't come, I'll cut your salary!"

"Fine by me since you're paying me on commission, and last time I checked, Kirsi isn't a case."

"FINE!"

Kiko exited her office while slamming the door and knocking over a Maurice action figure. Kiko's friend sighed and continued her work.

Xxx

At the Foreign Affairs, Megumi stepped off the elevator while smiling and messing with her phone. She hit a few buttons, giggled, hit a few more buttons, and giggled louder.

Shoji looked up from his work and narrowed his eyes at her. She sat down, still texting away and giggling, and then turned off her phone, as she cleared her throat and tried to hide her cheerful mood.

"Care to share?" Shoji asked.

"Share what?" she asked while glaring at him.

"You're texting with your fingers! Nobody does that anymore. Who's the guy that's got your panties in a twist? Or perhaps, lying in his apartment room right now."

"You got it all wrong! My panties are on just fine, and they have stayed on. And I'm using my keypad to keep you out of my business!"

"Ah, hah… I don't believe you," he shook his head.

"It's not what you think. Hizumi is a real gentleman. He's taken me out to a nice restaurant and a few movies too. He was going to get me a nice gift, but apparently he got fired at one of his jobs."

"Hizumi? Sounds like a homo."

Megumi narrowed her eyes at him displeased, saying, "Jealous!"

"Me? Jealous?" laughed Shoji hysterically. "Hardly! I bet you I could take him down with one finger."

"Yeah, sure," smirked Megumi.

They continued their work with Saitou taking bogus Contractor calls and Sakura doing other things.

Megumi's mind drifted off occasionally about Hizumi. She had been with over a dozen men, but something about him was different. There were no sexual intentions between them and figured she'd wait to see how things would go.

More to the point, she had other things to worry about.

Megumi tried calling her mother's cell phone the next day to tell her about Hizumi, but at first there was no answer, and by the tenth time a recording had said the number had been disconnected. Her father hadn't heard anything from Misaki either. Something told Megumi that hers and her mother's paths would cross on opposite sides of the law.

Also, Megumi didn't know how to tell Kanami about the dress, especially after she had gotten fired at her job a few days ago.

The phone on her desk rang. She hit the button to show her boss's face on it.

"_A word with you in my office, Section-Chief,"_ he said.

"Yes, sir."

Megumi turned off her phone, stood to hurry over to her boss's office, entered, closed the door, and stepped before him. He had his elbows on his desk with his right hand holding his left wrist, as he spun around a pen in the air like a spinning top toy.

"I got some intriguing news from New Pandora this morning," he said. "It seems a woman by the name of Abha Chande was found dead in Hell's Gate."

"Abha Chande? She's the bitch who had Kanami and my boyfriend fired from their jobs. What happened?"

"Apparently, from the corners report, she was killed three days go. Here's the kicker. She was in her office working two days ago."

"Sounds like someone swapped her out with a Doll. Do they have any footage of what had happened?"

"No footage of her death, and no footage of what had happened to the Doll since none of the cameras were working for some reason. I also got word that BK201 was active the night that Chande-san was killed."

"What? Why am I just now hearing about this?"

"That's what I had asked. It seemed that since the Astronomy lab was running around frantically trying to _ping_ BK201's star, they missed it."

"Missed it? How? And what's this crap about pinging?"

"That's what I'd like to know. I also found out that BK201 had used his power the following night."

"And I take it the Astronomy lab missed that one!"

"No, they caught that." He shook his head. "Since they record everything now, they decided to check the records before hand. That's when they noticed BK201 was active. And here's the icing on the cake. Both times it happened, he was in New Pandora."

"So the first time was to kill Chande-san, and the second was to knock out the cameras."

"No, and yes."

Megumi narrowed her eyes at Hayate, as he explained what was the final blow on Chande.

"He stabbed her? Why? It would have been less messy just to electrocute her. It's not like he's keeping quiet about where he's at."

"I'm just as baffled. Another thing that hit my desk this morning. One of our men got a call about a break-in in Shinjuku last night."

"All right, so what's the big deal about it? We don't handle break-ins. That's for the Lower Class Foreign Affairs. They were established to deal with petty crimes like that."

"It's not the break-in. It's what the officer saw in Shinjuku. He claimed he saw Izanami."

"Iz… Izanami? Are you bull crapping me, sir?"

"I wish. I got photos from a hologram that was recording at the time." Hayate pointed to a file on his desk with his pen. "It's in there."

Megumi snatched and opened it. She gasped at the glowing figure that people knew as Izanami. The same person who had left countless bodies behind, and believed to have given birth to a boy that was similar to her. He had been killed two months before BK201's so-called death, courtesy of BK201.

"So what now?" she asked, fear seeping to her voice, as she already knew the answer.

"You and Shoji go check it out."

"Better idea, sir. How about I send Shoji and Saitou?"

"Why? Scared?"

"No, sir. It's just that… Shoji's been… ease dropping on my personal life."

"Not my problem. I want my best detectives on the case."

"Then give me…"

"Do as I say!" growled Hayate.

"Ah, yes, sir." Megumi exited the office, and walked up to Shoji. "We've got a case. Saitou, you stay here just incase something else comes up."

"Yes, Chief," nodded Saitou.

Shoji smiled while standing and followed Megumi into the elevator. They descended into the garage, sat in the maize-colored vehicle, and headed off towards Shinjuku. During the time, Megumi kept her eyes forward, as Shoji glared at her.

"So are you going to tell me more about this guy?" he asked.

"No!"

"Why not? Did you at least do a background check on him to see if he had any criminal files?"

"What? No!" yelled Megumi, glaring at him. "Why would I do such a thing?"

"Cause, you can't trust anybody these days, and plus, you have the necessary means at your disposal."

"I'm not going to do that! It's invasion of someone's privacy!"

"Fine! Give me his surname and I'll look him up for you."

"How about I pull this car over, kick you out, and you can walk to Shinjuku!"

Shoji opened his mouth, but quickly closed it and sat quietly in his seat. At last, she was going to get some peace and quiet.

"You kiss him yet?"

The car came to a sudden halt, followed with the passenger door opening, and then Shoji being kicked out. The door closed with the car pulling away, as Shoji stood and threw up his hands in disbelief.

He pulled out his badge, held it before a purple car that was approaching to have it stop, and walked up to the passenger side door to open it. Inside, the interior was crimson red, with an attractive woman sitting in the driver's so-called seat. She had purple dyed hair, and a flashy light blue pleather mini skirt that came down to her thighs.

He cracked a smile, and said, "Eh, sorry, miss, but I have to commandeer your car."

"It's fine by me, Officer," she flirted, as she crossed her legs.

His smile grew, and said, "Call me Shoji."

Xxx

Twenty minutes later, Megumi pulled up to the abandon apartment where the ghost of Izanami had been spotted. She exited the car and began looking around the place.

Moments later, a purple car drove up. Megumi looked over at it suspiciously, and then frowned, as she watched Shoji step out of it. He looked back in while smiling, saying a few words, took something, and then closed the door with the car pulling away.

"I thought I told you to walk!" she said, as he approached her.

"Too long," he said. "I gotta thank you, though! Because of you kicking me out of your car, I got a really hot girl's number. I mean hot! Hotter than you!"

"I'm quivering with jealousy!"

"Betcha you would if Hiziki saw her!"

"Hizumi!"

"Whatever."

Shoji walked past Megumi with her giving him a displeased look. A sigh escaped her lungs while she shook her head, and approached the apartment's front office. She stepped before it with Shoji standing next to her, and knocked on the door.

There was no answer, making her knock again.

"Coming, coming!" shouted a man. "Dude, faster, faster!" he tried whispering.

"I'm trying bro!" whispered another man. "The crap don't fly right out."

"You got the stuff hidden?"

"Yeah, man!"

"I bet you Hizuzi's surname they're smoking pot," said Shoji

"Bet you the number you got is fake, and his name is Hizumi!"

"Dude, we're good," said the other man.

The door slid open to show two baked Asians standing in a small and littered room. The back door that led to a small backyard with weed plants gathered in it was wide open.

"Eh, hello," said the first guy. He was shorter than Megumi, shirtless to show a chubby belly, and wore a flat brimmed baseball hat sideways. The other guy was taller, but wore his clothes like his friend. "Looking for a room for you and your boyfriend?"

Megumi pulled out her badge to show the bros.

"Detective Itashi, and he's my partner, not my boyfriend," she said. "You bake?"

"Eh, no! We don't do pot."

"Who said anything about pot? I just asked if you bake."

"Oh, eh, no, officers."

Megumi scanned the room to see an ashtray in the mix of other things on a table and noticed a roach in it.

"And what's that?" she asked, while pointing to the tray. She then gestured in the backyard at the plants. "And that?"

The baked bros looked at it, and then cussed.

"Bro! You didn't close the door!" said the tall bro

"Dude, I thought you did!" shouted the short bro.

"I was flushing the stuff!"

"Oh. Dude, why didn't you hide the roach?"

"I thought you smoked it all, bro!"

"Dude, I don't do that anymore! Remember! I'm trying to cut down."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot, bro."

"All right, bros!" shouted Megumi. "Look, I'm not here to arrest you if you guys are growing pot and smoking it. I just wanted to know if you've seen anything unusual. But I'm sure you see things unusual everyday."

"You bet, Officer," said the short bro.

"Can you at least tell me if you've seen a woman that is wearing a white jump suit with blue hair walking around here at night, or perhaps during the day?"

"A woman in white?" questioned the tall bro. "BRO! I told you she was real! I knew it wasn't because I was stoned!"

"Where did you see her?"

"She was in room 201. I saw her on my way back yesterday from buying smokes. I went up there to check it out, but she wasn't in there."

"What did the person living in that room say?" Shoji asked.

"Ah, dude, no one lives in there. Nobody wants that room. People say it's haunted. We never even bother to clean it up."

"Can I have the key?" Megumi asked.

"Wait, what?" questioned Shoji. "You're not… seriously going to… check it out… are you?"

"Yes," said Megumi, raising her right eyelid at him. "Scared?"

"NO!" whimpered Shoji. He cleared his throat. "I mean, no."

Megumi took the key from the short stoned man, ascended the stairs, and stepped in front of room 201. The history this place echoed through her head courtesy of her mother, and she swallowed her distasteful feelings to open and enter the apartment.

It was a mess.

The tatami mats were torn up from its foundation, the walls moldy and had holes in them, and the closet door hung loose. The window was cracked from top left corner to bottom right, and the kitchen sink was stacked with dishes, either broken or covered in things that wanted to make Shoji hurl.

Megumi checked in the small bathroom to see it was twice as worse. The owners had really let the place go.

Megumi returned to the main room to see that Shoji was waiting for her outside. She frowned at him, but then whipped her head around, as she noticed something glowing from underneath the bridge.

"You see that?" she asked Shoij.

"Hell no, I didn't!"

Megumi tightened her jaw line, charged out of the room to run along the balcony and hurdled over the railing at the end to land on top of a trashcan. She hopped down from it, and started running towards the dried up ravine

Suddenly, she ran into someone wearing pink.

Megumi fell on her butt, as did the pink woman, and then they rubbed at the pain. They stood to glare at each other and shouted, "Watch where you're going!"

Megumi cursed while pushing the pink woman out of her way.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" yelled the pink woman.

Megumi ran over to the bridge to scuffle down the ravine and stared at nothing underneath it.

Thinking perhaps the glowing object had snuck by her somehow, she looked behind her to see nothing. She then climbed out and ran across the bridge to see if it had gone anywhere else.

If it did, she couldn't find it.

Megumi looked at the pink woman, as she stormed over at her with her head burning red, and shouted, "Do you know who I am? Kayanuma Kiko! Private Eye! I could have you arrested for running me over!"

Megumi's jaw line tightened, pulled out her badge, and said, "Section-Chief Itashi Megumi, and that's my line!"

"Yeah, right! Like that's real!"

Megumi's eyes narrowed at her displeased, and then turned her hip to show her gun while saying, "This is!"

Kiko whimpered, got on her knees, and began bowing while saying, "Wow, please, don't shoot me!"

Megumi snorted, as Shoji came up behind her displeased, and said, "You keep jumping off buildings like that, you're going to have a bad back when you hit your thirties!"

"Oh, just shut up!"

"Who's your friend?" he asked, as he caught his breath.

"Just some Private Eye who got in my way!"

"Excuse me!" growled Kiko while standing and having her back coil up like a cat's fur. "You got in my way!"

"Just what are you doing here anyways?"

"Looking for a missing person I put out thirty-one years ago!" Kiko held up a picture of a young girl with silver hair wearing a purple and black dress. "Her name is Kastinen Kirsi. I got a hold of some hologram images in this area of a woman that looked like her." She held up another picture with a woman that resembled Izanami. "I came here to investigate."

Megumi snatched both pictures to compare them, irritating Kiko. The two looked similar in height, weight, and facial features, making Megumi twitch her eyes as she recalled the story concerning Izanami that her mother had told her.

She also believed the girl with silver hair looked like the Doll she had spotted in the back of the helicopter back in Yokohama.

"Give me back my pictures!" demanded Kiko.

"Sorry, but I can't," said Megumi. "They're Foreign Affairs property now."

"What? You can't do that!"

"Yes I can. I don't know how you got the hologram image since it's illegal to obtain such a thing, and I'm willing to overlook it, but if you keep on badgering me about it, I'll arrest you."

Kiko trotted back a few feet while she stood frowning in an awkward pose. Settling down, she looked at her other photo, and asked, "And that one?"

"Oh, I'm sure you have other ones, so I'll just hold on to this for comparison."

"EEEHHH?"

"Have a nice day, Private Eye Kayanuma!"

Megumi and Shoji walked over to the bros' office to return the key, and headed back to the station.

As the car turned a corner, the glowing woman stood on top of a roof to watch the maize car drive off. The glowing woman looked up at the star that was shining brightly.

"Hei. Why? Why didn't you finish me?"


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: To everybody who has read and stuck with me on this story, I thank you so much. I apologize for the long delay on my fan-fics. It's mostly the hours at my work I put in these days that confined me, but something else has risen. Come to find out a few months back I have Lupus and have lost a lot of weight. I am seeing doctors on the matter, and I am doing fine.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this one and will leave a feedback on how you thought this one ended.

Generation New

A Wandering Soul Awaiting for A Lone Reaper part two:

Megumi sat at her desk the day after running into the pink woman, spending a majority of the morning looking up the girl named Kastinen Kirsi. All she found out about the girl was that she was from Finland and she had disappeared at the age of fourteen after her mother's death.

Her thoughts dwelled on Kirsi's looks compared to the Doll in Yokohama. The only conclusion of when a Doll's features looked similar to somebody else was that the person's memory was abstracted and placed in it. If she were to guess, the girl named Kirsi ended up in the hands of the people who made the Doll.

She checked up on Kayanuma Kiko, confirming she was a Private Eye with an office in Shinjuku. Her file also showed her former Employer was another Private Eye Detective named Kurasawa Gai. Megumi dialed his number to see if he could give any information on Kirsi, but the line had been disconnected. There was an address on the file though.

"Saitou, feel like a field trip?" she asked.

"Eh, sure, Chief. Where?" he asked.

"To visit a Private Eye by the name of Kurasawa Gai."

"What about me?" Shoji asked.

"Keep answering the phone."

Shoji frowned, as Megumi and Saitou grabbed their stuff to head down into the garage and took off in Megumi's car. Ten minutes later, they pulled into the place.

The Foreign Affairs agents exited the vehicle and ascended to the floor where Gai's office was located. Megumi knocked on the door, which caused a load bang sound from inside, as if somebody had fallen.

"Eh, just a minute!" shouted a man.

There were sounds like a window opening and an old fashion fan being turned on, causing Megumi and Saitou to look at each other peculiarly.

"All… all right!" shouted the man a couple of minutes later.

Opening the front door, they revealed an old man with graying brown hair and a brown suit that looked to be out of an old cowboy movie sitting behind a desk. Megumi frowned, as she noticed an old style phone that explained the disconnected line and no computer.

"Hello, what can I do for you?" said the man.

"Are you Private Eye Gai?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I'm Section-Chief Itashi Megumi, and this is Detective Yuusuke Saitou. I was wondering what you can tell me about Kastinen Kirsi."

"Who?"

Megumi's eyes slanted, saying, "You don't know who she is? You didn't have a case about her thirty-one years ago?"

Gai's eyes rolled up into his socket, as if trying to see if there was any memory left stored upstairs.

"Eh, no!" said Gai.

"What can you tell me about your former employee, Kayanuma Kiko."

"Kiko? Not much. Just that she's flat-chested and a terrible Private Eye."

"Thanks, I could have done without the flat-chested thing. Why did she leave your service?"

"She thought she could do better than me."

Megumi sarcastically smirked. The more she spoke with Gai, the more he made Saitou look like a Princeton Grad.

"One more question, Private Eye Gai. Do you know this woman?"

She held up the picture of Kirsi courtesy of Kiko. Gai took it and held it up to his eyes to get a better look, and then pushed it at arms length.

"Eh, I don't know, she looks familiar?" said Gai. "Who is she?"

"According to Kiko, and information I had gathered, she's Kastinen Kirsi. Still nothing comes to mind?"

"Sorry, but no."

"Thank you for your time."

Megumi retook the picture and began to leave the office with Saitou.

"Eh, miss, spoke up Gai, stopping Megumi and Saitou in their tracks. "May I ask what this is about?"

"A case concerning an event that happened in Shinjuku," said Megumi.

The detectives departed the office to descend to the main floor, and as they exited the complex, Megumi's phone began to ring. She pulled it out to see Hizumi was calling and hit the speakerphone while placing it to her ear.

"Hello, Hizumi," she hummed. "Meet you for lunch? Yes I can. All right. See you then."

Megumi hung up and sat in her car with Saitou.

"You find out anything, Chief?" asked Saitou.

"Not a clue."

Xxx

Megumi stood close to the wall outside a Vegan restaurant around noon to stay out of the pedestrians' way, as she waited for Hizumi to arrive. The sun was shining and the heat index was twenty-nine degrees Celsius, making the day beautiful.

Earlier when she was leaving, Shoji had asked where she was going. It was driving her insane that he wanted to know more about her love life than her mother and father put together. The thought about demoting him came to her dozens of times, but she was sure Commander Hayate wouldn't be too pleased about it.

Hizumi appeared moments later.

He was wearing black dress pants, a black vest, a white shirt unbuttoned at the top, and narrow purple sunglasses. The mere sex appeal he was flaunting made her wish she had dressed up for him.

"Hello, gorgeous!" he said, as he stepped up next to her.

"You're the gorgeous one," she said, and then realized she had messed up her wording, as Hizumi gazed over his glasses dumbfounded. "I mean… you look… handsome."

He smiled.

"Ready to get something to eat?" he asked, gesturing towards the restaurant with his head.

"I'm starving!"

Hizumi opened the door for Megumi, followed her in and held up two fingers to the waitress who nodded and guided them to a table. The restaurant had rounded tables that were pushed up close due to the cluttered room and a bar along the back wall, which took up a majority of space. It had a second floor where they were led up to.

It had a few more tables since it lacked a bar. Megumi and Hizumi were seated by the window and were given menus. Megumi bowed, which startled Hizumi, as the waitress left them.

"I haven't seen anybody of your age bracket bow?" he said, as he opened his menu.

"Courtesy of my mom and grandfather," replied Megumi while scanning through hers. "Mostly my grandfather. May his soul rest in peace. My mom kept on teaching me, which infuriated my dad. I've thought that if I have any kids, I'd teach them it as well."

"How traditional of you!"

"What about you? Did your parents teach you any Japanese tradition?"

"Nope. I just know about it from the old folks performing it. I just caught on to show respect to them."

"Really! Let's test that then." Megumi bowed in which Hizumi smiled and followed suit. "Do you take your shoes off when you enter your apartment?"

"Sometimes." He smirked, as he averted his eyes. "Mostly because I forget to."

"Um, where do you live?"

"Shinjuku."

"Oh! Um, I had to investigate some unexplained phenomenon yesterday out there."

"Where?"

Megumi gave him the location, which caused his right eyelid to rise, and told him why she had gone out there. As she finished, their waitress came back to take their order.

"Vegan supreme," said Megumi.

"Ramen noodles," said Hizumi.

The waitress nodded and headed back downstairs. Hizumi looked back at her and said, "Izanami? Wasn't she taken care of years ago?"

"That's what I was told when I was growing up."

"You see anything?"

"Besides an annoying woman dressed in pink, and two stoned bros, no. I don't know if I'm pleased or disappointed."

"I'm pleased you didn't see her." Megumi's eyes slanted. "I heard that she stole human souls."

"I think it was that she had the ability to make Contractors kill themselves. It's confusing to me. I never bothered to study about it since there was nothing to worry about. Although, I think I might have to read up on it.

"What about your parents? What are they like?"

"Boring," said Hizumi. "My dad lies around the house after a long days work while my mom watches TV and cooks dinner. The food tastes like dog food." Megumi's eyes bulged, as she wondered what to say after his comment. He smiled. "I'm kidding! I'm an orphan. My parents died when I was five in a car crash. I have no memory of them what so ever. I've hopped from foster care to foster care to foster care."

"Nobody wanted you?"

"More like I was a handful to handle. I always pulled pranks at every place I went to. I ran away when I was fifteen and took jobs that paid under the table."

"So that's how you learned Japanese tradition: by working."

"Yep! Oh, wait! I shouldn't have told you that! You're not going to arrest me, are you?"

Megumi shook her head.

Their waitress brought their food, set it down before them, and left with a smile. Megumi picked up her food and began eating it while Hizumi snatched the chopsticks instead of a fork, and started eating his meal.

They sat in silence while eating their food. Megumi loved the vegan food here and usually got the vegan deluxe, but she didn't have time to wait for them to cook it. She was a little astounded that Hizumi ordered an average bowl of ramen when she figured he was the type of guy who would put everything in it. Perhaps he was being a gentleman and kept from eating meat in front of her.

It didn't bother her, it was the person's choice, and she would probably have eaten meat as well, but images of her mother's late night cravings dug into her mind. She wondered once before how much food Misaki had consumed when she was pregnant with her, and had asked Aunt Kanami about it.

The response Megumi received was her own experience of morning sickness.

There were so many things she wanted to ask him, but she didn't know what to start with. Since she had talked about her parents, she thought it was all right to ask about his, but apart of her thought it best to keep quiet on the matter. He didn't seem upset, but she figured it would bring back old memories that someone would try to bury. Megumi knew she had a few.

"Oh, I meant to tell you," began Megumi, as she remembered something. "That woman who fired you. She was found dead in Hell's Gate."

"I know, I heard," nodded Hizumi.

"Maybe you can get your job back at New Pandora."

"I already tried, and they said no."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's all right. I found another one already."

They finished their meal, as their waitress came by to check on them.

"Dessert?" she asked.

"No, sorry, but I'd like the check since I have to get back to work," said Megumi. She looked over at Hizumi. "Hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. I have to get back to my job. My boss doesn't like it when I'm gone longer than an hour." Megumi began to fish through her purse. "I got it."

"I'll pay for my bill."

"I insist. It's the guy's duty to pay for the meal."

Megumi nodded, as she lowered her purse. Hizumi took out his wallet and removed his card. The waitress took it, placed a black rounded-rectangular device over it, and pressed a button to have a red beam shine from it and scan the bar code. Once it said, "Approved!" she handed Hizumi his card.

The couple descended to the first level and exited the restaurant. Megumi stopped in front of her car and looked back at Hizumi.

"What are you doing around eight?" she asked.

"Nothing that comes to mind."

"How, how about a movie tonight. I'm kind of a Harry Potter nut, and well, I've been itching to see the new movie, but I never had the time. If you don't want to, it's all right."

"Which theater?"

Megumi smiled, and said, "How about in Shinjuku around seven-thirty."

"All right. See you then."

Megumi sat in her car to turn it on and entered her work's address into her GPS. She leaned back in her seat, as the car drove off. Hizumi watched it mix in with the traffic before heading off in the opposite direction.

However, he held his ground as he spotted an old man in the crowd with blue pants, green coat, and big glasses. The old man stared at him for a few seconds before heading down a nearby alley.

With curiosity plaguing his mind, Hizumi headed over to the alley to see it was deserted. He walked into the tight alleyway, scanning the area to see where someone could hide, which made him look up at the fire escape, but there was nobody nearby.

He frowned and headed off.

Around the far corner in the shadows, the old man was leaning up against the wall. The boy was weak minded, and that was going to kill him.

He sighed and headed off.

Xxx

Megumi returned to Headquarters smiling and sat at her desk with Shoji eyeing her. She glared at him displeased, and said, "What?"

"Why are you in a good mood?" he asked. "You have a _lunch special _with your new boyfriend?"

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Give up what? I'm just trying to have a conversation."

"Well, as your boss, I say seal it and get to work!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Shoji averted his attention to his computer and began typing and flipping through folders. Megumi shook her head while chuckling and started reading other files.

Saitou had problems working with his computer. He would try to widen a file while motioning his index fingers out and away, but he kept on closing it or tapping on a window behind it. Sakura would occasionally round his desk and lean over his shoulder to help him out.

"Don't hit that!" she yelled.

"Hit what?" questioned Saitou.

Saitou tapped something and then an exclamation mark appeared that was followed by an R2D2 raspberry sound.

Megumi sighed. Old people and computers don't mix. There were too many buttons for them to hit and more files than their retirement pension was worth.

Her phone rang.

She picked it up and said, "Foreign Affairs, this is Detective Itashi."

Even though she was Section-Chief, she never gave her title on the phone since she felt it was a neutral thing.

"_Yes, eh, hello,"_ said a male voice. _"Um, this is 119 emergency dispatch. We got a call from two guys in Shinjuku saying there's a ghost in their apartment. Something about a young girl with blue hair wearing a cosplay-like outfit."_

"I know those two guys. They call you trying to get a hold of us?"

"_No. They asked for the Ghostbusters's number."_

Megumi frowned. That's what happens to your brain when you smoke stuff like that. Their brains were going to be a mesh of pudding when they hit thirty.

"The Foreign Affairs will take it from here," she said.

Megumi hung up the phone and gestured Shoji to follow her.

He stood while grabbing his stuff, and asked, "Where to?"

"Back to that apartment."

After thirty minutes of scramming down to get into the car and driving through the city, the maize-colored car pulled up next to a basketball hoop that had been left out. They exited the car to see Gai and Kiko standing and glaring at each other.

"I was here first!" shouted Kiko.

"No you weren't! I was!" shouted Gai. "I'm not letting you take all the glory this time!"

"Why you!" growled Kiko, and jumped onto him while wrapping her arms around his neck to choke him.

Megumi gasped and ran over to them to break it up while Shoji shook his head and followed.

"Hey, hey! Knock it off you two!" Megumi shouted, as she pulled Kiko off of Gai.

"Let me go!" demanded Kiko. "I'll MURDER him!"

"Not wise to say that in my presence!" Megumi looked back at Shoji. "A little help here, please!"

"What? And break up this nice little catfight?' he smirked, making Megumi tighten her jaw line at him.

Shoji sighed and grabbed Kiko to pull her away and restrain her.

"Why are you two here?" Megumi asked, standing between the Private Eyes with her right arm stretched out towards Gai to hold him at bay.

"I came to investigate things here about Kirsi," said Gai, as he straightened out his suite.

"And steal my case!" shouted Kiko, fighting against Shoji's hold.

"Calm down!" demanded Megumi.

"I can't! Kirsi is MY case! I overheard on my police scanner of a cosplayer I'm looking for! Kirsi!"

"A… a police… scanner…?" questioned Megumi. Kiko gasped. "Anything else you have that's illegal?" Kiko shook her head. "Good! Are you going to behave or am I going to have to place you under arrest?"

"No, I'll behave," assured Kiko, allowing Shoji to release her.

Something at the corner of her eye caught her attention. She turned to see the two stoned bros step from their office wearing American Football helmets and pads while holding a huge net.

"What the hell do they think they're doing?" asked Megumi.

The short bro looked towards them, placed his index finger before his mask, and said, "Shh! Be very, very, quiet! We're hunting ghost!"

Weed had really messed up their brains. It seemed as though they were in another world.

"Tsk! Step back and let us handle this, please," demanded Megumi.

"But…?" spoke up the short bro.

"It's police business now!"

Megumi and Shoji removed their guns, as the bros stood aside, ascended the stairs, and leaned up against the wall before room 201. To her dissatisfaction, the bros came up behind them. "I thought I told you two to stand aside?"

"We're helping!" said the short bro.

"Yeah, we're the Fantastic Four!"

Megumi sighed. The back of her brain was cursing at her for not arresting them yesterday.

However, that was the worst of her problems. Gai and Kiko decided to join as well, glaring devilishly at each other, as they walked up the stairs.

"Stop following me, Gai!" shouted Kiko.

"You're following me, Kiko!" yelled back Gai.

Having enough of them, Megumi pulled out her cuffs while saying, "You both are under arrest for interfering with police business," and laced her cuff through the railing while slapping it on their wrist.

"Oi! Hold on one second!" shouted Gai. "This isn't right!"

"Yeah! You just can't do this!" said Kiko.

"I just did," Megumi pointed out.

"What about them?" shouted Kiko while pointing at the bros.

"They're not bugging me as much as you two are!"

"No fair! I'll sue!"

"Go ahead," shrugged Megumi. "The number's 119. Ask for Commander Hayate."

Kiko glared at Gai, and said, "This is your fault!"

"My fault? You're the one who got in my way!"

"NANI?"

Kiko yanked her cuffed-hand forward, pulling Gai downward and slamming his face into the railing.

"Ouch, ch, ch! THAT HURT!"

"Didn't mean for it to tickle!"

Megumi shook her head in annoyance, as she stepped before the room, and pushed her emotions aside to kick in the door. A brief memory of Ryo doing the same thing a few months back and getting blown up surfaced. To her pleasure, she didn't have a ball of fire in her face, but there was something before her.

In the mist of the room stood a woman in a white jump suit with glowing blue hair. Megumi pointed her gun at the blue-haired woman who merely stared at it.

"Don't move!" ordered Megumi. "Put your hands up!" The woman did nothing. "Do it!"

The blue-haired girl raised her right hand, making Megumi tense, and then there was a sonic-like wave that sent Megumi outside, slamming her against the railing. Shoji fired a shot, causing the blue-haired woman to hold her hand before him, stopping the bullet in mid air, and having it drop before her. She then sent a shock wave to have Shoji slam against the wall.

The two bros gasped, hurried back down the stairs, and ran to lock and hid in their office. Gai looked on stupidly while Kiko stared on lost for words, wondering what had just happened.

Megumi painfully stood and aimed her gun at the blue-haired girl. The girl held her hand before Megumi and sent a third wave at her, knocking her back and over the railing. Fortunately, a resident had placed his or her trash outside his or her room, and she landed in it.

The blue-haired woman walked out of the room, freaking out Kiko as she stared at her.

"Ki… Kirsi?" she questioned.

The blue-haired girl looked at her smiling. Gai freaked out, pulled out a key to un-cuff his wrist, and latched it to the railing to run down the stairs while holding his hat on his head.

"Hold on! You had a key? Hey, get back here and release me, Gai! GAAII!"

Kiko gasped as Kirsi began to walk by her to descend the stairs and head across the bridge. Once she reached the smoke shop, she stopped as she felt a presence, and turned to see someone in blue jeans and a white button up shirt, standing in a darkened alley. The sun's light that was shining through the clouds was hitting him in a way to make the side portion of his hair look gray.

Behind him stood a girl with long silver hair, wearing a western-style dress.

"Yin," he whispered.

"Hei," she muttered. "Why?"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't kill you."

"I don't want this. Help me, Hei."

The man in the shadows slowly walked out of the alley with the girl following.

Back at the apartment, Megumi fought her way out of the garbage pile, as Shoji ran down from the second floor to check on her. He helped her to her feet and brushed some trash off her.

"You all right?" he asked.

"Thanks to my dumb luck, yes!"

"I saw where she headed off to. Come on!"

"Hey, wait! Don't leave me here!" shouted Kiko from above.

Megumi looked up at her smiling, and said, "It's for your own safety!"

The two detectives ran out of the apartment complex.

"My own safety? You can't do this to me! Somebody get me out of these things! I'll sue!"

Shoji guided her over the bridge and turned a corner before coming up to a smoke shop. They spotted the blue-haired woman standing before a man in blue jeans, white shirt and black flat hair that seemed to have gray spots, or it was the sunshine through holes in the cloud. He had his back to them and had his right hand on top of her head.

There was also a girl behind him with long silver hair and a purple dress. Megumi recognized her as one of the three Dolls sold back in Yokahama.

"Freeze!" shouted Megumi, as she and Shoji raised their guns.

However, to their amazement, the man in white had highlighted in blue to have a bright light shine and blind them. Megumi and Shoji tried to cover their eyes to make out what they were seeing, but it was ten times worse than trying to stare up at the sun.

Once the light had diminished, the blue-haired woman, the silver-haired girl and the man were gone. Megumi ran forward and around the corner to see if they used the distraction to run off, but there was no sign of them.

Her phone began to ring. She ignored it, figuring it was the lab to tell her that BK201's star was active and he was in the vicinity of Shinjuku.

She lowered her gun as she tightened her jaw line. Things didn't make sense.

Xxx

Kiko's friend was finishing up her work on the computer when her phone began to ring. She took it out of her pocket and hit the on button to see Kiko's image.

"Kiko? What's going on? Where are you?" she asked.

"_I've been arrested! I need you to come down to the Foreign Affairs and bail me out!"_ said Kiko.

"Arrested? How?"

"_Not important! The bail is seven hundred thousand yen."_

Her friend's eyes widened, seeing that they only had two hundred thousand yen in their account.

"I'm sorry, what was that? You're breaking up, Kiko!"

"_No you don't! Don't hang…!"_

Kiko's friend turned off the phone and left Kiko's office for the night.

Xxx

Megumi and Hizumi exited the movie theater late at night smiling while in each other's arms, heading down the street to the nearest subway. The fake stars weren't shining due to cloud cover.

"What a heck of a storyline to make after the seventh Harry Potter movie," said Megumi.

"Took them long enough to make it," replied Hizumi. "I liked Gackt being the new dark lord. Dressed in that dark Kimono. Freaky!"

"And to make an appearance in a movie after doing Bunraku so many years ago."

They continued walking towards the subway while passing an old couple that smiled at them. Megumi looked back and wished her own parents could have worked things out and had a life like them. She hoped she could have a life with someone: perhaps with Hizumi.

The couple turned a corner, and stopped in their tracks to stare at BK201 dressed in his black clothes and mask. Megumi's eyes widened, as she released herself from Hizumi, gesturing for him to back up, and pulled out her gun to aim it at BK201's head.

BK201 stood still, as Hizumi looked on lost for words, wondering what was going on.

"Stand aside!" said BK201.

Megumi looked at him peculiarly. Why was he telling her to stand aside? Wasn't he here for her, or was he here for someone else? She glanced over her shoulder at her date. To her dismay, a terrible feeling overcame her, and looked back at BK201, her eyes as wide as what the moon would have looked like if it were still in the sky.

"No! Why him?" she asked.

"It doesn't concern you," said BK201. "Stand aside or face the same fate as him."

"Me—Megumi, what's going on?"

She snapped her head around, and shouted, "RUN!" He looked at her dumbfounded. "RRRUUNNN!"

Hizumi flinched, but did what she demanded to sprint off in the opposite direction. Megumi focused her attention back on BK201 and fired a shot. With quick reflexes, BK201 raised his right arm to have the bullet hit his coat and bounce off onto the ground.

Megumi went to shoot another round, but to her surprise, BK201 had flung out his wire to wrap it around her wrist, tugged it slightly while glowing blue, and sent an electrical shock through it. She shook for a few seconds, which felt like to her an hour, and fell forward.

BK201 retracted his wire and ran off after Hizumi.

A few blocks over, Hizumi stopped running to lean forward and catch his breath. He believed he might be safe now and hoped Megumi was fine after hearing a gun shot.

He straightened up to walk off, but then felt something sharp pierce his backside. Hizumi looked over his shoulder to see a white mask next to his face. His eyes widened, and then became heavy, as BK201 removed his blade to let Hizumi fall to his knees, and then tumbled backwards.

BK201 took out his wire to whip it around a pole and flew off.

Back at where Megumi had been shocked, she regained consciousness and slowly stood while surprised that she was still alive. Her skin was tingling from the electrical shock her attacker had given her.

Why hadn't he killed her?

She pushed the thought aside as her insides feared the worse concerning Hizumi. Megumi fought back the pain and ran in the direction that he had headed. After running three blocks and not seeing any signs of him or BK201, she took it into consideration as a good thing. However, when she turned a corner, she saw Hizumi lying on the ground in his own blood.

Megumi ran over to him and dropped to her knees to see he was still alive. She pulled out her phone, and dialed 119. An image of a man appeared.

"_119, what's you're emergency?" _he asked.

"My date has been stab!" shouted Megumi. "Send an ambulance to Shinjuku near the theater!" The 119 operator began calling for assistance. Megumi turned to Hizumi to look at the wound, ripped the bottom portion of her shirt, and applied pressure to it, causing Hizumi to cringe. "Hang in there. Help is on the way."

"I'm… cold…" he said.

Megumi looked at him startled. He had lost a lot of blood and she knew it didn't look good for him.

"Please, just hang in there!"

"I… ah… I don't feel the pain… anymore…"

His eyes closed as he let out a long breath. Megumi rolled him on his back to cradle him.

"Hizumi!" She shook him. "Hizumi!" There was no response. "HIZUMI!"

Time seemed to stop for her, as her heart began to pound heavily against her chest. She laid him down, covered in his blood.

Thunder sounded in the background, and then a major downpour drenched her to wash away Hizumi's blood from her clothes, and to hide the tears that began to flow from her eyes.

An Ambulance arrived moments later.

Across the street stood the old man in an old green coat and big glasses, watching the scene.

He frowned to say, "The boy asked for it," and walked off.

Xxx

The next day, the sun shined down on the city to dry it up after the brutal storm last night, which made the air humid and hot as a lobster cooking in a boiling pot.

At the bullet train, a young girl, wearing a purple tank top, light purple shorts with purple nylons and silver hair, stood in front of a ticket booth.

A middle-aged woman, who was sitting behind the desk, smiled up at her, and asked, "Where to?"

"Kyoto," she replied.

"Your paperwork please." The young woman handed over the paper work to let the woman look through it. Once she was done checking it over, she stamped it and handed it back to her. "Have a safe trip, Miss Kirsi Kastinen."

"Thank you."

The girl named Kirsi took her stuff and ticket, headed onto the platform, and sat before the track to wait for the bullet train. Moments later, someone sat behind her.

"Don't turn around," said a male voice she recognized. "As you know. The body you have was a Doll that was stolen from a drug cartel a few months back. However, you'll also notice you have no power. You're normal." There was silence. "Once you get to Kyoto, look for a man in a black coat and red cap. He'll take you to a safe location."

"You're not coming, are you?" she asked.

"I can't. I have unfinished business here."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"I don't know. Goodbye, Miss Kastinen."

The man stood and left. A tear escaped Kirsi's right eye, as she said, "Goodbye, Hei."

Xxx

A/N: I was upset at what Bones had done to Yin in Season 2. I like Yin a lot, and I didn't like how she became Izanami. I wanted to give her a happier ending.


	15. Chapter 15

Generation New

A Rose of Prim Stands in the cool Evening part one:

Megumi stood in the morgue staring down at Hizumi's body lying on a metal table, stitched back up after an autopsy. She had spent many hours trying to figure out why BK201 would have targeted him, looking through a dozen files on him, but there was nothing. What he had told her about being an orphan and jumping from job to job had been his only crime.

So why did BK201 target him? Was it a message to her about something, or was he pissed about something she had done? She couldn't get her mind around it. Perhaps he wanted her for himself and was jealous of Hizumi. If that had been the case, then she would see him dead.

The door leading into the morgue opened to have Hayate enter. He frowned while approaching her left side.

"You shouldn't be down here," he said.

"I had to see him," she said.

"You love him?" His right eyelid rose.

"I—I don't know. I do have deep feelings for him. I just wonder… if I wasn't involved with Hizumi, would BK201 still had attacked him?"

"Don't put the blame on yourself, Section-Chief. You had no idea a lunatic like BK201 would do such an irrational thing."

"But is it, sir? Was it irrational? That's what I can't understand!"

"Maybe you should worry about something else. Like your statement about Hizumi's death."

Megumi glanced over at him with a bemused look, and said, "Sir?"

"You had stated that BK201 had electrocuted you quarter past ten, right? Well, the lab had said a few minutes ago that his star was only active when he disappeared in front of you and Shoji."

"That can't be? I know for a fact that he electrocuted me. He glowed blue! I thought I was finally going to meet my maker last night!"

"The evidence is telling a different story."

"Telling what? That I'm lying? You're not thinking I killed him, do you?"

"I'm not, but others might."

"Is there going to be an investigation on me?"

"As of now, no." He shook his head. "It seems the CIA doesn't think it's necessary, at the moment. But if there are any other clues that pop up, they are willing to reopen the case."

"Sounds more like they don't care about Hizumi's death to me."

"And you shouldn't either, Section-Chief. It might have a bad effect on your work performance."

Megumi breathed in heavily, as she tightened her jaw line. A part of her was kind of glad that the case was being dropped, but it also killed her. How somebody could ignore a person's death without a concern was unbelievable to her.

"What about Hizumi?" she asked. "With no next of kin, what's going to happen to him?"

"You mean his body? Cremated and then buried in some cemetery for ten years. You know the drill. Get some sleep, Itashi."

Hayate clapped her shoulder, turned away, and exited the morgue. Megumi looked down at Hizumi and wished she had kissed him. Perhaps last night would have been the moment for it, but she would never know.

She leaned forward, gave him a small peck on the forehead, and whispered, "Goodbye, Hizumi."

Megumi turned away and left the morgue.

Hours later, Hizumi's body was wheeled out of the morgue to have it cremated.

Xxx

Two in the morning at a local bar in Hiro-O, Megumi sat at the bar table drinking down dozens of glasses to quench her agony away and hoped it would give her a hangover so that she had an excuse to call off work. It didn't matter to her if her boss was right about Hizumi's death messing with her. She really liked the guy.

Megumi gestured for the bartender to pour her another drink.

"Don't you think you had enough?" he asked.

"Nope!" she hiccupped. "Why doez it matterrr. Not like 'm gonna drive drunk? TCS makez sure 'f tha', pal!"

"I'm not worried about that! I'm worried about you getting alcohol poisoning or throwing up in my bar."

"No worriez! 'M fine!"

Megumi stood while holding out her arms to show she was on her toes, but then tipped to her left too much and fell on the ground.

"Yeah, sure. No more drinks for you."

The bartender walked around his bar and helped Megumi into a chair. She looked up at him with a smile, and then passed out on the table. He sighed, knowing it was going to be a long night.

The bartender closed his bar and began cleaning up.

Two hours later, the place looked spick and span. Now all he needed was the cop woman to wake up and leave so he could go home to his wife.

To his luck, she began to wake, making him smile, but then frowned as she leaned over his clean floor and puked.

Xxx

Megumi exited the bar a half an hour later as the sun began to peek over the horizon. Any higher and it would start blinding her. She located her car parked in the alley, sat in it, and called her work to leave a message. To her luck, her boss answered the phone.

"_Detective? What…? Are you drunk?" _he asked.

"Hangover, sir," she replied.

"_Wha…? Did you do that because of your boyfriend?"_

"Sir, you can yell at me tomorrow about my stupidity, all right."

"_I think now is more appropriate! I told you to get over him! I need you here, not at your home in bed!"_

"Sorry, sir. It won't happen again."

"_I hope not! Don't make me regret making you Section-Chief, Detective!"_

"You should be," she whispered.

"_What was that?"_

"Nothing, sir."

"_Get some rest, Section-Chief Itashi. If you feel better later today, come in. And that's an order!"_

"Yes, sir."

Megumi hung up.

Unwilling to round up the energy to program coordinates into her GPS, she leaned back in her chair while crossing her arms and closing her eyes to fall asleep.

Minutes into her rest, she felt her brain drift off as she fell into a deep sleep. It felt so comforting in this stage of sleep. It seemed she was in a dream state, but still slightly awake to where you couldn't tell.

However, it didn't last as her body seemed uncomfortable, and woke up. She looked at her clock and saw only a half an hour had past. To her it felt like hours had ticked away. The brain was a mysterious piece of work. In one instant it could help you figure out things, and then be confused in another.

Megumi repositioned her body to get more comfortable, as her eyes opened for a second to see an old man in a green coat wearing big glasses across the street. She closed them while licking her lips and turning on her side, as her brain tried to compute what her eyes had seen.

Ten seconds later, her brain comprehended the image, jolting her awake to sit up straight and gaze back at the old man. He looked to be the same old man from the day Ryo had lost his life.

Her head was throbbing from the sudden movement, but she ignored it to burst out of her car, run out of the alley, and stop before the road due to heavy traffic. The old man looked towards her, holding his glare for a few seconds, and then headed off.

"Hey, wait!" she shouted, making her head throb even more, and hopped over the railing. "Please! Wait! Why did you leave the scene of the explosion?"

Cars came to a sudden halt as the TCS program recognized Megumi jaywalking, as she ran across the road after the old man.

"Wait! I'm not going to arrest you!" she said.

The old man turned a corner, making Megumi run faster. Her head felt like it was going to erupt like Mount Fuji, as she skidded around the corner and saw the man wasn't far ahead. She caught up to him to make him stop and look back at her while she breathed heavily.

"Eh, yes, young lady?" he asked, smiling.

"Why did you run off back when my partner was blown up," she asked.

"Eh…? I ran off from an explosion?" He placed his right index finger under his chin while thinking. "I don't recall doing such a thing, but then, I do forget where I put my keys at my old age." The old man sheepishly scratched the back of his neck.

"You know perfectly well! I'll arrest you and take you in to get what I want!"

He placed his hands on her shoulder, and said, "Miss, I think it's time for you to wake up."

She looked at him baffled. His smile disappeared, as his body began to outline in blue and his eyes behind his glasses glowed red. She gasped, as she found her body shaking from an electrical current coursing through her body.

Suddenly, Megumi woke up in her car startled and in a cold sweat. Apparently her jumbled up brain was having a disarranged dream. She looked at her clock to see she had slept through the whole day.

Sighing, she typed her address into the GPS and settled back in her seat to let her car drive her home.

Xxx

Megumi entered the Foreign Affairs the next day wearing glasses that covered a majority of her face. Shoji, Saitou and Sakura looked towards her as she sat down to catch up on her work. Saitou and Sakura returned to their work, but Shoji kept his eyes on her.

"What is it?" she asked, wanting to get whatever was on his mind out.

"Where'd you get those glasses?" he asked.

"From the store. Why?"

"They're not you. They hide your pretty face. And they give you bug-eyes."

He couldn't see it, but Megumi's eyes were narrowed at him. He was really testing her patience.

"Megumi! My office!" screamed her boss from his office door.

Megumi stood to head for his office, as he stepped back in it. She believed she should be frightened, but after facing the Black Reaper several times, she felt like this was going to be like taking a stroll through the park.

Megumi entered the room, closed the door behind her, and stood before his desk. He looked up at her with his hands laced together.

"First off, take those glasses off," he ordered. Megumi did, so that he could look directly into her eyes. "Second, don't ever get wasted like that again! I would gladly demote you back to just detective, but I think you would welcome it. So instead, I'm going to say that I'd take your badge and gun away and make sure your days as a cop is over. Understood!"

"Yes, sir. Is that all?"

"Far from it!" he yelled, making Megumi's eyes widened. There was more? Perhaps there were a few obstacles she didn't take into account concerning her little stroll. "BK201's star was active, and because of your hangover, we probably missed a good chance at getting him."

"BK201? Where?"

"Around Hiro-O at half past five in the morning."

"Hiro-O!"

The Black Reaper happened to be in the vicinity she had passed out at. Why couldn't her good luck let her wake up at that moment when he was active?

"What's so surprising, Section-Chief?" Hayate asked.

"Nothing. Do we know why he was there?"

"Not a clue. Saitou and Shoji didn't locate any bodies or anything out of the ordinary. So he either hid the body really good and we'll find it later, or he took it with him."

"What now, sir?"

"Get back to work, and drink a lot of water today."

"Yes, sir."

Megumi left the office to return to her work. Her brain still felt scrambled and thought about calling off today, but she believed it was best to come in so she didn't make things worse with her boss.

"Oh, Megumi," spoke up Shoji, as he turned to face her. "Guess what?"

"You're a Martian from Mars," she said.

"No. You were wrong about the number that that girl gave me. I have a date tonight. Where's my money?"

Megumi frowned at him and gave him the bird.

Xxx

In the Astronomy lab, Emiko, who was grateful to get her job back, walked around to make sure her people were hard at work and up to date. Nothing was going to get by them.

She was surprised that Kanami had turned down her old job in the lab, stating that she didn't want to work for a group controlled by the Americans. Since she had declined it, the CIA reinstated Emiko as leader of the Astronomy lab.

It also irritated her that she was second in the CIA's eyes next to Kanami. She felt that she could out perform that old woman any day and was willing to have a contest with her if the CIA approved it.

However, that would never happen.

"OH!" shouted Chou. "OH, OH! EMIKO-SAN!"

Emiko walked over to Chou, and said, "What is it?"

"Something you should see! A star has reappeared!"

"Chou! Everybody knows about BK201 already."

"Not his star! Another star! One that keeps on appearing, disappearing, and so on!"

Emiko didn't know what Chou was saying and looked at what she was seeing. She noticed a star that wasn't recorded on any of the up dated charts and hit a few keys on the computer to get the Messier code.

She gasped, and said, "She's back! Where is she right now?"

"Somewhere in Ueno, I think," said Chou. "I'm sending the Dolls to that location as we speak!"

Emiko pulled out her phone and dialed the Foreign Affairs number. To her displeasure, the pervert Shoji answered it.

"_Hello, Emiko-kun!" _he said.

"Where's your fearless leader at?" she asked. "Still out for the count?"

"_No, she's here. But why do you want to talk to her when I'm here?"_

"Because it's business and not pleasure. Put her on!"

Shoji moved the hologram around to reveal Megumi and her bug-eye glasses.

"_Yes?" _she asked.

"Another star has emerged from the dead again, and this one you should be shocked to know whom."

Xxx

The specters on the telephone line in Ueno swarmed around the area. The old man, oblivious to them, walked the streets to head back to the place he was using as his sleep quarters. Seeing that the Contractor they were looking for wasn't around, they continued on.

The seventy-year old man came up to an apartment complex that had its stairs on the outside, and as he was about to head up it, an unsettling feeling came over him. He turned around to see two muscular goons, wearing black, spiky clothes, standing behind him holding baseball bats.

"Can I help you kids?" he asked, as he smiled, stupidly.

"Yeah, old man," said a kid, his ears pierced with a huge ring inside it. "Word is from a cute high school girl that you got cash on you. She said if we steal it from you, she'd show us a good time tonight. Hand it over and we won't hurt you."

"No, no. She must be mistaken." The old man waved his hands in front of him innocently. "I'm just a poor old man that has nothing. I have to scrounge for food in trash cans."

"Don't lie, old man!" said the other kid, who had his nose pierced. "Give us the cash, or get hurt."

"But I'm telling you, I don't have a yen."

The pierced nose kid gestured for his buddy to take the first shot. The earring kid tapped his bat in his hand, as he approached the old man who looked as though he was going to pee his pants. The earring kid took a firm grip on the bat, and swung it.

To the kids' surprise, the old man caught it with his left hand barehanded and reached over to rip the earring out. The earring boy screamed, as the old man took the bat upside down, slammed it into the kid's side, breaking his ribs, and then hit him on his back to knock him to the ground.

The pierced nose kid grinded his teeth, gripped his bat one-handed, and swung downward to have the old man dodge left, and then right to avoid an upward strike. The pierced nose kid repeated his actions without receiving a single blow.

Having enough, the old man jabbed the hilt of his bat into the kid's stomach to stun him, and grabbed his nose ring to rip it out. The kid screamed in pain, as he grabbed at his nose while releasing his bat. The old man dropped his bat to stand before the kid.

"Learn to respect your elders," he said, and then knocked him out.

The old man sighed, feeling good to get into a fight to stretch out his joints.

Punks these days were pushovers. At least in his prime years kids knew how to put up a little effort in a fight. It seemed that these kids wouldn't be able to hit a ball off a tee stand.

He turned to head up to his apartment, but held his ground due to a young girl dressed in a navy school uniform sitting at the top of the stairs with her knees enclosed and her legs spread outwards. She had green hair, orange eyes, and a smile that shouldn't be taken out of context.

"I see you can still handle yourself in a fight," she said.

The old man stood in silence for a few seconds, and then said, "Why are you here? It's not safe."

"When is it ever safe?"

The old man was quiet for a few more seconds before saying, "What do you want, besides sending those punks after me?"

"Can't I say hello to an old friend?" she asked.

"Depends. Are you friend or foe?"

"I thought we were past this?"

"You left me in a bad situation twenty-five years ago, and I didn't appreciate it!"

"How do you think I feel?" She frowned. "I wasn't pleased one bit with my decision! I lost the man I loved more than anything!"

"It was probably a blessing to him, wasn't it, Amber!" Amber stared at the old man displeased. "You should leave this timeline and head back."

He headed upstairs to pass Amber.

She stood to face him, and fought to say, "Does… does he still have… feelings for me?"

The old man stopped before heading up the next flight of stairs to look down at her.

"I don't know," he replied, and continued to his room on the third floor.

Amber felt bitterness overwhelm her heart, and let it get the best of her to let a tear fall from her right eye.


	16. Chapter 16

Generation New

A Rose of Prim Stands in the cool Evening part two:

The old man entered his apartment while removing his shoes, turned on the news and stepped before his refrigerator. In the corner kneeling quietly was the Doll boy the Black Reaper had picked up a few months back.

After gathering some lettuce, carrots, and other vegetables, the seventy year old man walked over to his kitchen table to chop them up, as the weatherman gave the latest forecast for the next seven days. The well-tone aged man opened up an overhead cabinet to remove a box of rice, poured it and the vegetables into a pan, and turned on his stove. He stirred and mixed his nourishment for a few minutes, tossed it a couple of times, and began stirring it again.

Once he was done, he poured the food onto a plate, kneeled before a small table that stood before the television, and began eating.

"How long are you going to hide?" the old man asked.

BK201 stepped slightly out of the shadows in the next room to reveal part of his slick hair, ice blue eye, and black outfit.

"How long did you know I was here?" he asked, as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Since I stepped through the door. Apparently you're losing your touch, Kuro no Shinigami."

"Don't test me, old man," yelled BK201. "I'll slit your throat while you're asleep."

"How could you when you're louder than an ant."

"Tsk! I still don't see why we needed to kill Hizumi. We could have still used him."

"He got too close to Section-Chief Itashi, as I had already stated! It was his own fault.

"Like Li Shengshun did with Kirihara Misaki?"

The old man stopped eating to glare back at the Black Reaper, and said, "You know that all too well, Kuro no Shinigami."

"I told you, old man, don't mock me, or I will kill you in your sleep."

The Black Reaper slipped back into the shadows, as the old man started eating again. He was pushing his luck.

Xxx

Megumi was displeased that UB001 wasn't anywhere in sight when they roamed around where she was active. All they found were two goons who had their butts kicked and didn't say whom.

UB001 was a link to the past that Megumi believed started the downfall of Japan and the rise of the CIA. Throughout the years, she had made an appearance occasionally, but was never apprehended.

A part of her believed that that was a good thing since if UB001 was killed in her time, then she would have never been able to manipulate the past, and perhaps Megumi would never had been born. It was what many in her department called the Butterfly Effect.

Megumi scanned holograms in the area but caught nothing. The holograms where the two goons had been beaten up were a dead end since they weren't working.

An APB had been put out on Amber, but she was too cunning to be caught so easily. However, it didn't hurt to try.

Megumi had spent little time on gathering information on dead Contractors, but she exhausted a majority of her free time catching up on BK201's cases, and occasionally read up on UB001 since their paths had crossed in South America and the Tokyo Explosion. Many believed he had killed her and then caused the explosion.

At first, Megumi had believed that theory in the academy, but she had her own now.

"Chief!" shouted Sakura. Megumi averted her eyes towards her. "Word is that UB001 is walking around in Minato. Hologram identification conforms it. She's dressed in a navy school uniform."

"Good work!" congratulated Megumi. "Get a team assembled in civilian clothing and head towards her last known location. Load their guns with stun darts."

"Yes, Chief!"

Perhaps Megumi was wrong about UB001. It seemed she was making it like taking candy from a baby.

She, Shoji and Saitou descended into the garage, entered her car, and headed towards Minato. Once they reached their destination twenty minutes later, they exited the car with Megumi meeting one of the officers and his men in regular clothes.

"Chief. We located her a few blocks over," he said. "I have men watching her at this moment. They informed me she's heading west."

"All right. We'll get in front of her to flank her," ordered Megumi.

"Yes, Chief."

Megumi and her team, along with the officer and his men, entered their cars and headed west. Once they were a few blocks ahead of Amber's last location, Megumi ordered the officer and his men to take lead while her team backed them up incase everything went south.

Saitou pretended to look at magazines on a stand, as Megumi sat on a bench with Shoji settling next to her to wrap his arms around her neck.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sarcastically.

"Making it look like we're a couple," he smiled.

Megumi snorted, and said, "Fine! I'll play along!" A group of pedestrians began to pass by. "Don't deny it! You cheating bastard!"

"Wait, WHAT?"

The pedestrians stopped to look at them baffled.

"So you still want to deny it!"

"Megumi! What are…? Cheated? I would never…?"

"You didn't think I would find those naked pictures of Gackt and Hyde in your dresser drawer?"

"EeeeHHHH?"

The pedestrians chuckled and continued on, as they gossiped about the conversation.

"Was that even necessary?" Shoji asked. "I'm trying to hold a reputation here."

"Then get your arm off me," she smirked.

Shoji frowned and removed his arm.

"Is that true!" shouted a woman. Shoji and Megumi looked to their right and saw a gorgeous woman with purple hair standing before them. "You have naked pictures of Gackt!"

"Ayane!" shouted Shoji, as he stood.

"And who's she! You told me last night that I was the only one for you!"

"No, wait! I can explain!"

Before he could, she smacked him across the face and ran off. He frowned while slumping back on the bench next to Megumi.

"So much for your reputation now," smiled Megumi.

He gave her a smug look in response.

Megumi returned her attention across the street to see the officer leaning against a building lighting a cigarette and his men pretending to shop in a small store.

In the distance, Amber strolled down the street while guys turned around to check her out in the school uniform. Megumi couldn't remember how many times she used the getup to sleep with boys that thought she was under eighteen in college.

Amber passed the officer to have him and his men trail behind her. Megumi jabbed Shoji in his side with her shoulder to instruct him to stand and follow, as Saitou paid for his magazine before accompanying them.

"When you get a clear shot, take her out," ordered Megumi into a mike on her collar.

"_Understood,"_ said the officer.

They continued following her with no hiccups. As the crowd diminished, the officer pulled out his dart gun, aimed it at Amber, and shot it into her neck. Amber stopped, took a hold of the dart, and smiled at it as she passed out. Megumi, Shoji and Saitou jaywalked to stand over her.

As easy as taking candy from a baby.

"Gentlemen, we just apprehended a dead woman," she said.

Xxx

The old man sat against the wall irritably sharpening the Black Reaper's knives to the specs he demanded. He thought a few times about taking his special knife and shoving it where the sun doesn't shine. Although, he controlled his anger since Madam Oreille would have been displeased with him.

He missed being out in the middle of the fight. If it weren't for Madam Oreille, saying he was too old to fight and too valuable to lose, he would have taken on that imposter samurai, Jackal, and killed him.

He was in good shape for someone of his age, watched what he ate, and could beat the Black Reaper ten fold without breaking a sweat. The Black Reaper, in his opinion, was too rational, and was going to slip up sooner or later.

There was a knock at his door.

He put down the knife, stood to walk over to the door, and looked through the peephole. With sickness filling in his stomach, the old man frowned and opened the door to reveal the dark angel herself. To his luck, her dear old pet, Mao, was with her. If he had a wok, he'd throw that mangy cat in it for dinner.

"Hi!" Madam Oreille smiled while holding up her right hand.

"What do you want?" he asked.

"Is that anyway to treat a guest?" The old man glared at her and waited for her to answer his question correctly. "February has been arrested by the Foreign Affairs. If she can't get free and travel back twenty-nine years, then a major paradox will happen."

"Why are you telling me this? Why not tell your famed Black Reaper?"

"Because I'd figure I'd give you some stage time since you've been _dying_ to stretch out your legs, like you had with those two goons." The old man frowned. "And besides, I have the perfect part for you to sneak into the Foreign Affairs."

"I don't need a part!"

Madam Oreille smiled. She loved his sense of humor, even if he wasn't being funny.

Xxx

Megumi sat with her hands cupped together and her lips pursed in the Foreign Affair's interrogation room across from a smirking Amber who had on a shock collar to prevent her from using her power.

"Twenty-nine years of being dead, and yet, here you are," said Megumi.

"With exception of appearances here and there through out the years," pointed out Amber.

"How far have you gone into the future?"

"It's hard to say. I've traveled a lot, and not just in this timeline, but in other alternate worlds."

"Alternate worlds? What are they like?"

"One: the real stars have returned. A second one: the Black Reaper never died. There's one that BK201 didn't hide Heaven's Gate, and oh yeah, another one where you don't exist since your father and mother never met."

Megumi's eyes twitched.

"How would you even know that?" she asked. "You don't even know me!"

"Section-Chief Itashi Misaki Megumi of Section Four of the Foreign Affairs. Mother's name: Kirihara Misaki. Father's name: Charlie Watson Itashi, also known as, Charlie Watson Smith, who is a cabinet member for Prime Minister Chaplin. Japanese folks don't have middle names, but your father fought to give you one. However, whenever you fill any documents out on yourself, you never put it in."

Megumi narrowed her eyes, trying to control her temper. How could one person know so much about her, and why?

"You grew up in Yokohama where your parents divorced. You spent a majority of your time with your grandfather during the break-up. A few months later, your mother had your baby brother."

"That's enough!" shouted Megumi, as she stood while smacking the table. "I will kill you if you speak of him again!"

"I guess I made my point. Do you want to know why your parents never met?"

Megumi's jaw line tightened, as she glared at her devilishly, and then stormed out of the room while shouting at an officer at the door, "Take her to her cell."

He nodded and entered the room.

As Megumi headed back to Section Four floor, Saitou and Shoji exited the viewing room. There was a stunned look on their faces, which forced her to glare at Shoji to keep his mouth shut about the new news he had gained. They made like her shadow, trying to keep quiet since they were afraid to speak a word.

Xxx

In the lobby of the Foreign Affairs, a tall dark-skinned man dressed in a security outfit stood before a scanner, checking guests to see if they had any firearms, and waving police officers through. Next to him was his partner, who was a young Caucasian man, and a Japanese guard behind the counter to their left.

A middle-aged woman in a black dress suit walked up smiling while placing her purse on the scanner belt.

"Hello, Audrey. Doing well?" the security guard asked.

"Now that I'm back to work, Sean!" she said. "Being out with the flu for a week sucked. My husband had to work a lot of overtime to make up some money. His job wasn't too happy about it."

Sean chuckled, and said, "And it kept him away from you so he wouldn't get sick."

"Not funny!" She raised her left eyebrow at him. "And for that comment, you're not getting any of my special homemade spaghetti."

"Oh, no! I was looking forward to it when you returned!"

Audrey walked through the scanner, grabbed her purse, and smiled at Sean as she departed. Sean chuckled while shaking his head.

An old man in a blue work suit holding a utility belt stepped up. He had a baldhead with some gray hair, pimples and brown spots, a face that had more wrinkles than an ironless shirt, and slanted brown eyes.

"Please put your stuff on the belt and step through the scanner," said Sean.

The old man did so. As soon as he was through, Sean took out a small device to search him. Once he was finished and found nothing, he put his device away, and asked, "Your name, and what's your business here"

"Liu Kang. I was sent here to inspect the electrical systems downstairs," the old man smiled.

The guy at the counter began typing away, pulled up a file on his hologram, and picked out a folder to open it. The old man's face appeared with his name.

"He's good," said the guard behind the counter.

Sean stepped aside to let Liu Kang grab his utility belt.

"Jake here will lead you downstairs," he said, pointing to his partner with his thumb.

The old man nodded and followed Jake into an elevator. Jake hit the floor under the garage floor and rode the elevator to their destination while rocking on his heels.

"Tough times, isn't it," he said.

"Every century is tough times," said the old man with a smirk. "Every decade is tough times. If you look at it, every year is tough times. In fact," his smirk diminished, "at this moment, it's tough times, for you."

"What was that?" questioned Jake, his eyebrows slanting.

Before his brain could comprehend the full meaning, the old man wrapped his left arm around Jake's neck and grabbed his hand to twist it behind his back. Jake struggled, but it felt like he was competing against an ox. As his lungs and brain lacked oxygen, his face began to turn beet red, followed by purple, and then he found himself passing out. Before the old man did anymore harm, he released his hold and threw the kid over his shoulder.

Once he reached his floor, he exited the elevator, placed Jake in a linen closet and closed the door before heading for the power unit.

Things were going to be simple.

Xxx

Megumi furiously typed on her computer. How could UB001 know so much about her life? She understood she was a time traveler, but it didn't make sense why her? Did it have to do something with her parents, or a mere coincidence?

Saitou straightened out his composure, as if fighting back a troublesome emotion, and stood before Megumi to have her look up at him.

"Eh, Chief, I was wondering if I could speak with you privately," he said.

She sized him up for a few seconds, knowing what he wanted to discuss, and returned to her work, as she respectfully said, "Now is not the time, Saitou-san. I'm in no mood."

"But, Chief, you need to vent some of your frustration before something bad happens."

"I'm fine, Saitou-san, and I appreciate your concern, but we have a lot of work to do."

"Yes, Chief."

Saitou returned to his seat to continue his work. Megumi breathed out a huge sign of relief from dodging a bullet. Talking about her baby brother was the last thing from her mind: at least in this day of age.

She focused on her screen, trying to hide her anger, but it occasionally fluttered out after typing a few dozen words, and then slammed the delete key when she hit the wrong letter. Half the time she would growl for pulling up a file she wasn't looking for.

A tall, thin man in a tan suit with green eyes and brown hair, and a short, chubby man in a black suit with white strips and blond hair, stepped before her.

"Section-Chief Itashi?" the tan suit man asked.

Megumi averted her eyes away from her computer to give the men her attention.

"Yes?" she question. "And you are?"

"Agent Henry Michaels. My partner, this is, Agent Jon Dudley. MI-6. Here for February, we are."

Shoji opened his mouth to correct their grammar, but Megumi kicked his shin before he could speak.

"Here for February? On what authority?"

"The CIA's authority," said Hayate, as he walked up to her. "I just got a call from the Minister himself on the matter."

"But, sir!"

"I don't want to hear it. Take them to her cell so that he can take over custody."

She frowned, looked over at Saitou, and said, "Take them to Amber's cell."

"You would show me the way, I was hoping, Section-Chief Itashi," said Agent Michaels.

Megumi pondered on the man, wondering why he would care who would guide him. The thought was a trivial matter to her at the moment, and pushed it to the back of her mind to guide them down a hallway.

Shoji watched them for a second before disappearing around a corner, and mockingly said, "Always two, there are. No more, no less, a master, and an apprentice."

Even though Megumi tried to hold back her curiosity about the MI-6 agents, it kept on surfacing every ten seconds. Something about them wasn't right, but she couldn't place her finger on it.

"Quite title you have, you don't think, Section-Chief: especially your age," said Michaels. "Only one achieved it, I heard. Had been Kirihara Misaki, no?"

"You would be right," said Megumi, her jaw line tightening, knowing why he wanted her to accompany him.

She was tired of people comparing her to her mother and wanted to be known for her own actions.

"Worked with two former MI-6 agents, she did."

"I'm well aware. November Eleven, who was killed before the Tokyo Explosion, and April, who was killed by BK201 personally two years later."

"Your mother, what you think of her?"

"What do you mean, Agent Michaels?"

Megumi asked that question since she wasn't sure if he was looking to find something that could spark a riot between events she might not see coming.

"As I state."

"Like, do I love her or hate her, kind of thing?"

"You wanna look that way, yes."

"I love my mom."

"After decision joining Section Three, and then Underworld led by Madam Oreille?"

Megumi stopped to turn on her heels and glared at Agent Michaels displeased.

"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't ask about my personal life, Agent," she said. "I don't care what my mother does. It's her business, not mine. The only thing I hope for is to not get a call from my father saying she had been killed.

"Now if you have any other questions for me, I'd suggest you keep them to yourself."

"Course, yes. Sorry, Section-Chief Itashi. No harm, I meant."

Megumi let out a sigh, and continued down the hall with the MI-6 agents following. They reached the cell moments later with Megumi gesturing the guard to open it. Agent Michaels entered to stare at Amber who was sitting calmly on the cot.

"February, by the order of his majesty, King William, you're under arrest for treason against the crown," he said in perfect English.

Amber smiled, stood to have her hands cuffed, and was guided out. They headed back down the hall, and as they where half way through it, the power went out. To Megumi's surprise, the backup generator didn't kick on.

"You pay youz electric bill?" Michaels asked.

Megumi wondered why the power went out since there wasn't a major storm outside, and the electrical issues where paid in full.

"BK201!" she gasped after fitting in the pieces. "He's here to save her!"

"He ain't stupid to save she in middle of police station!" said Michaels. "Rational is not."

"You don't know Hei," said Amber.

"Keep her here. I'll take care of BK201," ordered Megumi.

"Think so not, young lady," said Michaels. "You no take him on your own, I think not."

"Your job is to take custody of UB001, not order me around. And if I recall, you're a guest in this country. Stay behind and protect your prisoner!"

Megumi charged down the hall, as she pulled out her gun. Amber watched her, knowing that she would survive this day, but one of her partners wasn't going to. As for these two guys, they had no idea what was going to happen.

Megumi barged into Section Four's main room and located her team taking phone calls. Saitou noticed her and waved her towards him.

"Is that the lab?" she asked, as she approached him. "Did they call saying BK201 is active?"

"It's the lab. I called them thinking the same thing, but they say he isn't active."

"What?"

"The lobby had called and had said that there was an old man who went downstairs to work on the electrical system. They tried calling one of their guards that went with him, but they haven't heard anything from him."

"What did this old man look like?"

Holding up his phone, Saitou showed a picture of the old man. Megumi focused her eyes on the picture, and then they widened, as she believed he was the same old man at the run down apartment where Ryo was killed.

"Saitou, Shoji, with me! We're going down stairs to investigate! Use precaution!"

"Yes!" they said.

The Foreign Affairs trio descended the emergency staircase with their guns and flashlights at the ready. Megumi took the lead, peeking over the railing to see if she could spot anything, and jumped around the rails to get a beeline down the next flight of stairs.

Once the team reached the ground level, they could hear a phone ringing in a closet. Cautiously, Megumi opened it and revealed a security guard lying unconscious. She slapped his face with no response, and then checked his pulse.

"He's fine," she said. "We'll leave him behind."

They continued on, reaching the generator a few minutes later, and noticed the machine had been turned off. With her jaw line tightened, Megumi walked over to and flicked on the switches. The machine began to whine, as the lights turned on.

Her suspect had snuck by them. Or at least she thought.

Before she could understand what was happening, someone jabbed her side from out of nowhere, and held her as a shield at the last minute while Shoji took a pop shot, striking Megumi in the chest.

As she fell to the ground, the old man moved quicker than lightning to grab Shoji's armed hand, and redirect the gun at Saitou to have his second bullet strike him. Saitou fell backwards grabbing his shoulder while Shoji's arm was being snapped, followed by his leg, and then getting knocked out.

"All too easy," said the old man.

The next thing he noticed was dodging a green ball. It blasted into the generator, knocking out the power again and forcing the backup generators to kick in.

The old man looked up to see Michaels standing before the entrance with his partner and Amber in cuffs.

"Old man, don't get too excited," said Michaels. "Ain't got a clue who you are, I don't. But stupid you are, coming here without backup."

"I don't need it," said the old man.

"Stupid, Ain't you!"

Michael's partner high-lightened in blue with his eyes turning red. He opened his mouth and spit out some black stuff. The old hermit dodged it, having the substance hit the ground and eat through the floor like it was some kind of acid.

"Both of you are Contractors," said the old man. "Give me February, and no harm will come to you."

"Ain't you brighter than BK201's star?"

Jon Dudley spat again, as Michaels threw a green ball like Jonny Cage from Mortal Kombat. The old man rolled out of the ball's path and hopped to his right, having the acid spit singe his sleeve.

"Get away easily, I think not. Going anywhere, you aren't."

"You fail to learn how to speak Japanese?"

"My price, that is it. Improper grammar, I speak with. He no speak at all, my partner here."

The Contractors continued their attacks, forcing the old man to dodge and wait for the right moment to strike. It seemed things weren't going to be so simple after all.

At the corner of his right eye, he noticed the Section-Chief woman slowly and painfully standing to her feet. He made his way over to her; surprised to see she didn't have a bullet hole in her chest, and used her as a hostage.

"Back off, or I snap her neck!" he ordered.

"Move no good, old timer!"

Agent Michael highlighted in blue and sent another green ball to kill the old man's hostage. As her mind computed the events that were happing, Megumi gasped and figured her life was at an end. However, at the last minute, Saitou jumped in front of her to take the full blast. Megumi's eyes widened at Saitou's bravery, and watched him fall dead.

The old man released her while snatching her gun from the ground, and shot Michaels in the forehead. With lightening reflex, he aimed the gun at Jon and fired, dissipating an acid spit that was launched simultaneously, and discharged another round to put it through the back of the venomous Contractor's throat.

Amber smiled at the old man, and said, "Haven't lost your touch!"

The old man aimed the gun at her, but she showed no fear.

"I told you to leave, Amber," he said.

"What can I say, I'm a stubborn woman."

Next to Saitou's corpse, Megumi noticed his gun lying a few feet from her. Figuring she could reach it, she was about to go for it, but the old man shot it away from her. She looked up at him to see he had the gun trained on her.

"Keys to February's cuffs and shock collar, or you get a bullet in the head."

"Now, now, old man! She can't die yet. At least to say: she can't possibly die."

Megumi looked at her dumbfounded, wondering what she meant by that? Had what she had said the reason why she always survived countless deaths recently? Is that why Saitou had to die for her? If that were the case, then it wouldn't hurt her to try and fight back.

However, the old man was thinking the same thing, and pointed his gun at Shoji.

"Losing two partners is heart wrenching as it is. I'm sure losing a third would be devastating," he said.

Megumi gulped, pulled out the keys, and tossed it to Amber who snatched them to unlock her cuffs and shock collar.

"Want me to get you out?"

"Nope, I can get out myself. Time to take a nap, young lady."

The old man slammed the butt of the gun against her forehead.


	17. Chapter 17

Generation New

Deaths of a Bloodline to Ensure One's Life Span part one:

**Sixteen years ago:**

In the vicinity of Yokohama, Kirihara Misaki and her partner, Hamaguchi Ruki, who she had been teamed up for three years, stepped before an apartment room on the fifth floor. He was her height, had dark, short messy black hair, and wore blue jeans and a white button shirt with two undone. His badge and gun was clipped to his belt.

The Yokohama police that were waiting for them to arrive ushered them into the room where a Japanese man lay on his back on the floor dead. A coroner was working on him. The two detectives squatted to get a better look at the corpse.

"We have a name?" Misaki asked.

"Nakamura Daisuke," said one of the officers. "Age, forty. Divorced and has a fifteen-year-old son."

"How long has he been here?"

"At least a few hours. His neighbor had said he had a guest around that time and didn't stay long."

"We get a description?" Ruki asked.

"Yes, sir. A short European man in his thirties. He wore glasses, had on a black suit with a black tie, dark eyes, and had a brown buzz haircut. We also got word that a Contractor was active. HR004."

"You know anything about him?" Ruki asked Misaki, looking at her.

"No. He didn't even exist when I was with the Foreign Affairs," replied Misaki. She averted her attention towards the coroner. "Cause of death?"

"Well, my guess is a heart attack since I see no wounds and he seems to be clenching the left portion of his chest. However, it could be something else internally. I won't know more until I cut him open."

The two detectives stood to survey the scene. Misaki trained her eyes on the door to see it wasn't open and noticed two glasses of soda sat on a desk nearby. Hamaguchi Ruki glanced at the clean sink and organized shelves stacked with books, movies, adult entertainment, and small figurines. The television, which was an old 3D model, sat in the corner turned off.

"No forced entry, so the victim knew him, " said Misaki, "which is strange letting in a Contractor into your home. Unless he didn't know."

"No indication of a struggle," said Ruki. "The victim poured a drink for himself and his guest. It seems as though he never saw it coming."

"Make sure when the CSI's are done searching the room they send us their results," Misaki said to the officers.

"Yes, ma'am," the officers replied.

Misaki and Ruki exited the apartment to descend the stairs. They walked over to a police car and sat in it with Misaki taking the wheel. She fired up the engine and drove back to Headquarters.

"Man, it'll be a drag if the Traffic Control Services passes," said Ruki. "No more gas pedals and manual cars. What a bummer!"

"I won't miss it that much since I'm getting older," replied Misaki. "Although, I would have liked to get my hands on a manual car when I decide to retire."

"How long have you been working with us now?"

"Almost twelve years."

"Oh, that's right," he nodded. "Man, how time flies. How are things going with you and Charlie anyways?"

"Bad! We're still in a disagreement about custody over Megumi. He wants to take her to Vancouver while I want to keep her here. She's only known this city and this life. My father is pulling out his hair from her attitude. He's about ready to pack up her things and kick her off to Canada."

Misaki's phone rang. She cursed, pulled over to take it out, and hit the receive button while placing the receiver to her ear.

"Yes, Father?" she said, and paused while listening to her father scream. "She did WHAT? Why did you let her do that? … Me? I didn't teach her that manner! It's her father saying it was fine. Were you able to clean it up? … It's stained? Good grief. Did you call and see how much it would be to clean the tatami mat? … Fifty thousand yen? Crap! There goes my paycheck for a month. You ground her…? NO! Father, she broke a rule, you need to punish her. … I know you know, but it won't help anything if you pamper her because she is your only grandchild. Whatever happened to the strict father that raised me? … It doesn't seem like it, Father. I got to go. I'll see you two later. Love you."

Misaki hung up the phone and placed it in her bag.

"Everything all right?" Ruki asked.

"No! My daughter decided to enter my father's place and left her shoes on. For some reason, she had walked through mud and tracked it through his place. He can't get it clean with what he has around. She does this at times, believing if her father says it's all right, she can do it whenever and wherever she likes. I've yelled at her for trying to shake people's hands or ignore elders bowing. She doesn't get it.

"I'm afraid to see what she does when she hits her teens."

**Present**

Megumi stood in a graveyard next to Shoji with his arm in a sling. Everybody was dressed in white, which made it easy on the body since the sun was blazing down on them. They had shown up for Saitou's funeral, as did his former teammates, except Misaki.

Kouno had kept in shape, but his face and his graying hair showed most of his aging. Ootsuka had still a slim figure since she spent all her life with her nose in mangas, anime shows, and writing fan-fictions.

Saitou's relatives stood in the front row, mostly distant cousins, his brother and sister with their kids.

Megumi felt déjà vu all over again. It seemed like she should be the one being placed six feet under. However, for some odd reason, the bullet that had struck her from Shoji's gun was a rubber bullet. Shoji didn't know what to make of it, figuring somehow it had gotten mixed in with the real bullets.

Even so, she should have died if it weren't for Saitou's last minute heroic act. Her mind had been swarming with what Amber had said.

"_She can't die yet. At least to say: she can't possibly die."_

Was she some kind of Contractor that relied on luck? If that was the case, then what was her price? Perhaps tightening her jaw line, or maybe eating Vegan foods. Perhaps it was to have people around her lose his or her life: like Hizumi. Maybe she should quit the Foreign Affairs and live on the mountainside of Mount Fuji.

Saitou's ashes were laid to rest.

Friends and family members gave their final respect to his closest family. Megumi didn't want to do this, figuring the family wanted her head, but she braved it out. Shoji was first to give his apologies by bowing, next was Sakura who shook their hands, and then Megumi.

She tried to avoid their eyes, and was about to get on her knees to beg for forgiveness, but Saitou's sister grabbed under her arm to stop her. Megumi looked up at her baffled.

"You need not blame yourself, Megumi-chan," she said. "I know my brother would have preferred it this way. His last actions at protecting the daughter of the woman he loved dearly."

Megumi smiled, bowed, and said, "Thank you so much."

Megumi, Shoji, and Sakura began to head for the exit. As they did, Megumi felt a heavy burden lift from her shoulders.

"Eh, Megumi, I wanted to apologize for… shooting you," said Shoji. Megumi glanced at him, as she gave a faint smirk, and kept on walking. "Megumi, say something!"

"It's all right," she said, her voice sounding groggily. "You did what you thought was right."

"I almost killed you, and that's all you're going to say?"

Megumi stopped to look at him, saying, "What do you want me to say? What were you thinking, loading rubber bullets? Where'd you learn to aim? Or… Shoot faster next time?"

"Something like that since it's been killing me to know I almost killed you!"

"Maybe it would have been a blessing!"

"Megumi-san!" whimpered Sakura, as she put her hands to her mouth.

Shoji's jaw line tightened, and said, "Don't ever wish that."

"Why? Why does it matter to you?" she challenged. "If I die, then you get to be Section-Chief!"

"If it means your death, then I don't want it."

"Why? Why do you care if I die? Because you won't have anybody to sexually harass?"

"Because I care for you! I—I _really_ care for you!"

Megumi's eyes widened from his statement. He _really _cared for her? Was he playing some mind game with her before throwing her a curve ball?

She waited for him to burst out in laughter and say, "I got you!" but he instead held a straight face. Unable to hold down his stare, she averted her eyes, and then saw a woman dressed in a tan coat with glasses and a golf-like hat.

"It can't be?" said Megumi.

She headed towards the woman, causing the woman to exit the graveyard. Megumi hurried with Shoji and Sakura following. As soon as they exited the graveyard, a blue aerodynamic car sped off into traffic.

"Oh, wow! That's a fossil fueled car!" said Shoji. "Those are illegal to drive!"

Megumi hurried over to her car to have Shoji and Sakura trying to keep pace. They entered the car, Megumi taking the wheel, as Shoji sat in the passenger seat, and Sakura in the back.

"Oh, man, I don't know about this?" questioned Sakura. "I get car sick!"

Megumi turned on the car, took off the TCS, causing it to give its annoying warning, and hit the accelerator lever as Shoji turned on the siren.

"What's got you spooked about that person, Megumi?" Shoji asked.

Megumi ignored him so that she could concentrate on maneuvering through traffic to catch up with the blue car. Noticing it had someone on its tail, it unexpectedly took off. Megumi pushed as hard as she could on the lever, but it felt like a tortoise and hare match. Although, as she recalled the western fairytale, the tortoise won, but she didn't think this was going to happen for her.

The blue car came up to an intersection and, what seemed like to Megumi, skidded on its wheels to make a really sharp turn at such high speeds. Shoji's eyes widened while he cursed, as Sakura looked on dumbfounded. Megumi kept her speed at the same, as she drew closer to the intersection.

"Eh, Megumi, what the heck are you thinking?" shouted Shoji, as he braced himself with his good arm since he knew what was coming.

It seemed Sakura had a general idea, and lay down to grip the back seat tightly.

As she reached the turn, Megumi yanked the steering wheel to the right, but she couldn't repeat the blue car's performance, and flew into on-coming traffic.

"_Warning! Exceeding required turn speed! Warning! Exceeding required turn speed!" _announced the TCS. _Warning! Improper lane usage! Warning! Improper lane usage!"_

Megumi pulled right to barely miss a car, yanked left to swerve between two other cars, and then drove back into the proper lane.

"Don't do that again!" screamed Shoji.

Sakura sat up, looking a little pale, and then threw up. Shoji looked back to see that Sakura had eating rice, sushi, and some other things he couldn't identify.

Due to Megumi's reckless driving, she had caught up to the blue car. She was amazed at how easily the person driving was gliding through traffic. To her dissatisfaction, she was losing ground on the blue car from lack of acceleration. Cars built to today's standard only had 110-horse power. It was quick enough and easy on the people riding in it. However, due to these situations, it sucked.

The blue car made a sharp left turn, which made Shoji take a hold of the handle overhead, and have Sakura lay back down. As much as Megumi wanted to try the skidding maneuver again, she instead hit the breaks, and made as sharp of a turn as she could, screeching the tires.

"_Warning! Exceeding required turn speed! Warning! Exceeding required turn speed!"_

However, doing so gave the blue car a big distance.

After it made two more skidding tricks, it was gone from their sight. Megumi pulled over and exited the car while slamming her fist on top of her roof. Sakura jumped out and threw up again.

Xxx

Misaki looked in her rearview mirror to see that her daughter's car hadn't been able to keep up with her Porsche. She gave credit to her for trying, but with the lack of power and talent, there was no way she would have been able to keep up with her.

She turned right at the next intersection, pulled into a garage facility, and parked the car. The former Foreign Affair woman exited the car, headed to an elevator, and rode it down.

The building above them was a local store that was a cover to keep the CIA and the Foreign Affairs away.

A minute later, the elevator stopped and opened its doors. She exited into a brightly lit corridor where Hazuki leaned up against the wall next to a door. Years of working out kept her in good shape and dying her hair made her look young. The wrinkles under her eyes were the only thing that gave her age away.

"Goro is waiting for you, Ichinose," she said, as Misaki approached her. "He's not happy you went to his funeral."

"I had to do what I thought was best."

"What if you got caught?" She pushed away from the wall and closed the gap between them to where Misaki could feel her breath. "What am I supposed to do if you die?"

Misaki held her ground. Hazuki was a tough woman, she did what it took to get the women she wanted and Misaki was no exception. No matter how many times she threw up the red flag, Hazuki would shred it into pieces.

"Find someone else to harass like you always do," replied Misaki.

Hazuki's eyes traveled along Misaki's body to undress her in her thoughts, licked her lips, and gazed back into Misaki's eyes.

"No other woman could replace your sexy figure. It's a shame your beloved Reaper rejected you. I bet you he missed out on a night that would have rocked his world, and I'm sure yours as well. I did tell you he was a fine kisser, right?"

_Only about every time I run into you!_ Misaki thought, as her eyes twitched in frustration.

Misaki began to walk around, but Hazuki grabbed her to pin and kiss her up against the wall. Seconds ticked by, as Misaki let her have her moment, and jabbed her kidney from letting her guard down. Hazuki flinched to allow Misaki to depart and entered the room.

Hazuki watched her close the door, and said, "I got rejected… again."

Misaki noticed only Goro was present, leaning back in a chair in front of a desk. He had gained weight and had a full head of gray of hair. His glasses had gotten big to accommodate his vision.

"You're getting carried away with Kirihara Misaki's life again, Agent Ichinose," he said.

"He was my friend."

"Her friend, if I remind you once again. You work for us, so now Kirihara is no longer."

"She's not dead."

"We can arrange that, if you would like, Agent." Misaki sighed. "Better. Now we have a situation to deal with. It seems your second favorite Contractor might be in town."

"I already had guessed that since my… I mean; Kirihara's daughter's birthday is tomorrow. It'll be thirteen years to the date when Li was killed."

Xxx

Minister Chaplin stood at a podium in front of the media with his Bill in front of him on a hologram. He took a sty and wrote down his name on it.

"As I had promised a few months back, I'm giving back Tokyo to the police department!"

The audience snapped off pictures, as he stepped away from the podium, and signed a written document on a table. Once he was done, he gave it to the Tokyo Secretary of Defense, and shook his hand, as everyone clapped in celebration.

Xxx

Upstairs in the conference room, Chaplin stood before his window, occasionally drinking his bourbon with his cabinet members and closest allies sitting at the desk.

"You believe your little plan will work?" questioned Andrew. "Like Hitler thought his would?"

"If you have a problem, it's not too late to back out of it," said Chaplin.

"Hardly! If your plan works, I'd be able to get any woman I want! If you fail, well, I already lived a long life."

"Maybe you should retire then, " said Peppermint. "I'm sure nobody here will miss you entirely."

"Ooh, the Professor has balls after all! I'm impressed!"

"All right, you two, settle down. As of one month from now, my plan will be in full motion. I only need the U.S. senate to pass it, and alls well should be well."

"You trust your friends in the senate?" said the Mikhail Gorbachev look-a-like, who was smoking a Cuban cigar.

"Yes, I do. If they weren't loyal, then none of us would be sitting here at this very moment. We'd all be behind bars in our own country for treason."

"Speak for yourself. I'd be on a beach with some hot babes," said Andrew. He stood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I got a hot brunette reporter that wants to give an interview in private."

"Don't forget your Viagra pills!" yelled Peppermint.

"Ooh! Two for two today!"

Everybody left the office, except Charlie and Chaplin.

"You all right, old friend?" questioned Chaplin, snapping Charlie out of his daze.

"Oh, sorry, I was spaced out," he said.

"About your daughter's twenty-sixth birthday coming up? I know you love her to death, literally, but I need your mind on the task at hand."

"I know, but I'm scared of what will happen when Megumi finds out what I had done. Would she ever forgive me?"

"You had to do what you had to in order to save her, and that's all that matters. Now, go home and get some rest."

Charlie nodded, stood, and exited the office. Chaplin watched displeased, took a sip of his drink, and wondered if he could trust Charlie's loyalty.

**Sixteen Years ago:**

Two months had past with no leads on HR004's case, forcing the department to close it. Misaki was struggling with her own problems concerning her ex-husband and Megumi. It seemed as though the judge was going to side with Charlie due to the fact that Misaki spent more time at her work than at home with her daughter. Misaki had defended back that Charlie's job was no push over as well. He had been gone for months without being home.

She sat on the roof of the police department late at night, staring up at the empty slot where BK201's star use to shine.

The feelings Misaki had for Li Shengshun she wish she could turn off, but the fact was that he had put a curse on her. If she could have shaken it off, then perhaps Charlie, Megumi, and she could have lived like a normal family, but that was far from the case.

Misaki believed if the man who went by the code name Hei were still alive, she would still be with Madam Oreille and wouldn't have met Charlie in which Megumi wouldn't have been born.

If it weren't for Charlie, she would have named her Riku. The name sounded so much like Li-kun.

The door leading to the roof opened. Misaki turned to see her partner exiting it. He walked over and sat next to her.

"Beautiful night," he said. Misaki didn't respond. "Everything all right?"

"Far from it," replied Misaki, and told him her situation. "I don't know what to do?"

"You could move to Canada?"

Misaki laughed hysterically, saying, "And do what? My English isn't that good, so law enforcement is out of the question, and I have no experience in anything else since being a policewoman has been my life."

"You love greasy food. Perhaps you can work for McDoness over there. I heard you get free food."

"A once proud officer reduced to a cook," Misaki nodded while perking her cheeks. "I told you I can't cook, right?"

"Everything is premade. All you have to do is heat it up."

Misaki chuckled, but a tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped at it, which did no good as more poured from her eyes.

"I don't want her to leave," she whimpered. "I can't bear the thought of not seeing her every day! I just wish there was some way to fix this. What do I do?"

Misaki stared into his eyes, hers doused in water to where her glasses couldn't help her vision. He didn't avert from her and tried to think of what to say to ease her pain, but he couldn't think of anything.

As if his lips had the answer, Misaki leaned into him and kissed him. Ruki was startled, backing away, but he leaned in and kissed her. Their kiss began to intensify to where Misaki placed her hands on his chin while he pulled her close to him to wrap his arms around her.

He wallowed in her aroma, as she savored in his taste. It had been years since she had kissed Charlie and longer since she had her hormones relinquished. They were through the roof, as was Ruki's.

He pushed away, surprising her with her lips swollen and aching for more.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this," he said, and stood to leave.

Misaki watched him enter the building and descend the stairs before the door closed. Looking down at the ground, she wondering how she should deal with her feelings, and how she would face Ruki tomorrow.

Xxx

Misaki stood in her shower thinking about the kiss she had shared with Ruki. One would say he was taking advantage of her, but it didn't matter to her at the moment. She needed an escape from the real world and have a moment in an alternate universe. To her, anything else was better than this one. It couldn't be any worse, could it?

There was a knock at her door.

Misaki turned off her shower, grabbed a towel to wrap it around her drenched body, and exited the bathroom to step before the door. She opened it to reveal Ruki.

Before she could ask why he was here, he entered her apartment kissing her. He shut the door, threw her on top of his hips, and slammed her body against the wall.

**Present**

Megumi woke up on her twenty-sixth birthday. She hit the alarm, climbed out of her futon, and entered her shower to wash away the morning stench. Once she had finished, she departed from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body, and reentered her bedroom to dress.

She stepped into the living room and opened a cabinet to show a picture of a young boy and her younger self. Megumi lit incense, kneeled while clapping her hands together, and held her pose.

After a minute had past, Megumi smothered the incense, and said, "Happy anniversary, little brother."

Megumi closed the cabinet to stand and walk over to the door, fitted on her shoes, and headed out. Since her car was in the shop getting the upholstery cleaned, Megumi took the JR line to work.

Twenty-five minutes later, she arrived at work and sat at her desk for another day's work. Although, she couldn't help but look at where Saitou had sat. Megumi shook away the distraction and turned her attention towards Shoji.

"We get any facial hits on the old man in the system?" she asked.

"Not a thing!" said Shoji, shaking his head. "I checked criminal files, hospital files, military files, and other ones I can't think of off the top of my head. It's as if this guy is a ghost!"

"He's no ghost, I can vouch for that. From what I experienced from him, he had to have had some type of military training. And I think he might be younger than what he's leading on."

"Meaning?" questioned Sakura.

"Even if someone exercised throughout his or her life, no seventy year old person could move as fast as he had. He was like lightening."

"You think he was wearing a mask of some sort?" second-guessed Shoji.

"Maybe, or he's some kind of speedy Contractor, but I doubt that. The Astronomy lab had said no Contractors were active."

"Oh! I also checked surveillance on that blue car! I wasn't able to get whom it might be registered to, nor a clear picture of the driver."

"Don't worry about that. I already know who the person is. She was my mom."

"What?" Shoji shouted hysterically while Sakura gasped. "Are you sure?"

Megumi nodded, and said, "I remember my mom wearing that outfit when I was a kid. She also drove a blue Porsche: even when fossil fuel was disbanded."

"Want to put out an APB on it?" Sakura asked.

"Don't bother. None of our fastest vehicles stand a chance against it. It would be like an ant trying to keep up with a cheetah. Anything else?"

"Yeah, um, I did some digging on that skidding thing the blue car did," said Shoji. "It's called drifting. It used to be a big hit back in our parents' time. Ever since cars went to battery power and didn't require things called a shifter and clutch, the art died out.

"Many tried to copy it with battery cars, but many gave up on it since it wasn't the same. There are a few that still try it, but only a hand full of people do it due to the license restriction. It mostly takes place out in the country sides."

"Were you able to get details on how someone can drift a battery operated car?" Megumi asked. Shoji nodded. "Forward it to my computer."

Shoji began sorting through his files, pulled the drifting one up, and sent it to Megumi. Once she received it, she started reading up on the technique to perform a dangerous and dying art. It seemed to show one needed quick hand reflexes to work the break and gas lever when it was required.

She had been in the Porsche with her mother watching her work the extra pedal and shifter. She wondered how someone could hit the break and gas at the same time with their right foot while holding down the third pedal, and then release it to peel off.

The elevator door opened to show Suzuki Hachi from the Yokahama police department enter. Megumi frowned and stood to head over to him with her chest out.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I work here now," he huffed with his eyes narrowed.

Megumi's eyes widened, and said, "Bull shit!"

Xxx

Charlie woke up to see he had slept in by two hours. He figured he wouldn't be able to sleep, but he had been wrong. At least he was refreshed.

He changed his clothes, threw on some cologne and deodorant to hide the smell, and began heading for his front door. The Cabinet member fitted on his shoes, stepped into the hallway, and entered a nearby elevator to travel down to the lobby. He departed it to walk through the lobby without a care and exited the apartment complex to sit in his car. Charlie programmed in his destination, and then lay back to relax.

"Long time no see, Charlie," said someone in the back seat.

Charlie sat up and looked back to see a short and skinny Caucasian man in his early fifties. He wore frameless glasses, a black suit with a white shirt, black pants and black tie. His eyes were black, and had a gray buzzed cut that was receding.

"Danko!" yipped Charlie.

"Surprised to see me?" he smirked. "You shouldn't be. You know I was going to appear again: especially to make sure your little girl lives on. Although, you know someone of her bloodline must die to ensure another thirteen years of _good luck_."

"So you're here to kill me?"

"Unless you know where her mother is. I went by her place, and she wasn't there."

Danko began to highlight in blue, freaking out Charlie, and said, "Wait, wait! We got until midnight tonight, right!"

Danko settled down, and nodded, "Yes. Megumi has until midnight to live. Why?"

"What... what if I could find Misaki by that time?"

"Then… I will kill her, and you can live for another thirteen years."

**Sixteen Years ago:**

Misaki stood before the judge with her attorney, as did Charlie to her left. There were spectators gathered in the courtroom. Kanami and Naoyasu were behind Misaki. Megumi had been taken into child service until after the case was over.

"Kirihara-san," began the judge. He was short and looked as if he was wearing a toupee. "Your work schedule concerns me about Megumi. You're at your job at six in the morning until nine at night. Do you think that's a proper work schedule for raising a child?"

"No, your Honor," replied Misaki.

"So why do you work such long hours?"

"In my line of work, it seems logical since criminals don't take the night off."

"But that's why we have night shifts, Kirihara-san. You have a daughter. You need to think about her needs. Not yours."

"Yes, your Honor."

The door to the courtroom opened. Misaki peeked over her shoulder and saw Ruki enter to sit in the back row. Her heart skipped a beat, wondering how he got out of work.

"Is there something wrong, Kirihara-san?" asked the judge.

"No, your Honor," she said, returning attention forward.

The judge looked over at Charlie, and said, "Itashi-san. You on the other hand seemed to have a better work schedule. Nine to five, Monday through Friday, and sometimes Saturdays. Good for raising a kid."

"Thank you, your Honor," said Charlie.

"However, what isn't good is that you travel a lot on the account that you're in politics. So it sounds to me that one week you'll be home, but then you'll be gone. Who's gonna watch your daughter? Your sister died ten years ago, and your parents live in Windsor. They themselves are in their late seventies, and I don't think they could handle a soon to be teenager as Kirihara Naoyasu-san could."

"I've talked to my neighbors, and they're willing to look after her," said Charlie.

"For a week or two? I don't think so, Itashi-san. What if something severe happens to her and you're not there? You have to make a quick flight back, and that'll take a while because of nine, eleven! No doubt Itashi Megumi-chan would probably start rebelling when she hits thirteen."

"I can change my schedules."

"No you can't. You're a politician. Unless you have someone that is a family member that lives close by, your request to have full custody for Itashi Megumi is out of the question.

"I grant Kirihara Misaki full custody of Itashi Megumi." Misaki smiled, as she let out a breath of relief. Kanami clenched her fist in victory while Naoyasu sighed that everything was over. "HOWEVER!" the judge continued. "If Kirihara Misaki-san CANNOT cut down her work schedule in the next month, my hands will be forced to have Child Service take Itashi Megumi into a foster home until my demands are made, or a better home can be established for her.

"Case dismissed!"

The judge stood and left, as Misaki turned to hug Kanami and her father. Charlie looked over at Misaki displeased, and departed the courtroom. Misaki rounded the rail and walked down the aisle where Ruki sat. He stood and hugged her for a few seconds before she pushed him at arms length.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I had to come to support you," he replied.

She smiled at him while blushing. Kanami and Naoyasu came up to them with Kanami giving Misaki a devilish smile from catching her unsettled feature.

"Ruki-san, it's been awhile," she chimed. "You still look good to gobble up."

"As you, Kanami," he replied.

Kanami smirked, swirled her head over to Misaki, and whispered into her ears, "Don't let this one go."

Misaki gasped, turned on her heels while turning reddish, and babbled, "Kanami!"

"Same old Misaki! Later."

Kanami left with Naoyasu behind her. Misaki and Ruki also departed the courtroom, but stopped, as Misaki turned to face him.

"I… I have to tell you something," she said, wanting to lift some burden off her shoulders.

"Misaki, if it's about us, we discussed it already, and our work won't let us have a relationship either."

"I… I know, but that can't be avoided." Ruki stared at her baffled. "I'm… I'm… Pregnant."

His eyes widened in shock, but they settled and embraced her to have Misaki melt in his arms. She didn't know what the future held for her and Ruki, but she would fight to make it right.

Around the corner stood Charlie listening to the conversation. He walked off; his jaw line tightened, and pulled out his phone to call a number. Within seconds, he got an answering matching.

"_Leave a message,"_ said the voice.

"Danko, it's Charlie Itashi, I need to speak with you."

Xxx

Months had past with no response from Danko. Charlie, standing on his balcony of his home, was displeased as he left his home in Vancouver Canada. The house was built out of wood, two stories, and had a v-shaped roof.

It didn't take this long to get in contact with him thirteen years ago, why was it taking so long now? He cursed and entered his home. It was spacious with a couch in the center under a chandelier, and before a fifty-inch hologram television. Oak hardwood flooring was installed through out the living area with a landing that led to a patio door and wood porch.

Charlie froze as he noticed a short European man in his thirties with glasses sitting on the couch. He wore a black suit, a black tie over a white shirt, had dark eyes, and had a brown buzz haircut.

"Danko!" gasped Charlie.

"Did I scare you?" the man named Danko asked.

"Where have you been? I called you three months ago!"

"Checking up on you." Charlie looked at him peculiarly. "Your daughter's Contract is almost up. What is it… three years from now? I had to make sure you weren't calling to kill me. I'm a busy man. What do want?"

"I want you to kill someone for me."

"Kill is it now? Who?"

"My ex-wife's partner. Hamaguchi Ruki."

**Present:**

At the dank and murky apartment, the old man who had snuck into the Foreign Affairs kneeled before his small desk to eat some brown rice that was mixed in with some vegetables. He quickly downed the food like it was his last meal.

There was a knock at his door, making him stare at it annoyed, stood, and walk over to open it with a smile. It diminished once he realized it was his least favorite woman in his life.

"Hi, old man!" chimed Madam Oreille.

"What is so important this time that you can't call me?" he asked.

"Danko. He's in town."

The old man's eyes twitched, and said, "How can you be sure."

"Because, he's here to kill Kirihara Misaki."

The old man stared at her in silence, pretending to comprehend what that had meant for him.

"Where?" he asked.


	18. Chapter 18

Happy Holidays/Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Generation New

Deaths of a Bloodline to Ensure One's Life Span part two:

**Fifteen years and three months ago:**

Misaki, who was a few weeks from her due date, sat across from Ruki eating at a restaurant. There was tons of food sitting before her, which she dug down like it was a last meal.

She had transferred to a smaller department to lighten up her workload and spend time with Ruki.

They laughed at stories about their past.

"Really? You just laughed at the notorious Kuro no Shinigami when he said that as you two ate?"

Misaki nodded while still laughing, and said, "I couldn't help it. He had food on his face. That's why I laughed."

"And I thought one of my first dates was bad. I was so nervous I spilt anything you can imagine. That's what I get for my sister setting me up on a blind date. I didn't make it through the night. The worst thing was, she told all her Facebook friends and tweeted about it. It had been months before I even got the courage to ask somebody else out."

"If you ask me, that beats mine!"

"I don't know, Misaki."

They continued eating, giggling while almost choking on their food, and finished a half an hour later. The couple exited the restaurant and headed over to the JR line to head back to Misaki's place.

Within minutes, they hopped on a train bound for Shinjuku. Biting her bottom lip, Misaki eyed him over her spectacles. Ruki leaned forward to give her a kiss as the train closed its doors to take off.

"Misaki," began Ruki, while looking at her. "Megumi doesn't like me, does she?"

Misaki averted her eyes, but returned her attention to his, and said, "She'll come around, I'm sure."

"I know Charlie isn't. The last few days he was in town visiting Megumi, he was giving me a dirty look."

"You don't have to worry about him."

Misaki was about to kiss him again but stopped from spotting a short European man in a black suit with a buzz cut standing in the trailing car. She walked past Ruki, who looked on baffled, as she eyed the man.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"Dunno?" replied Misaki.

As on cue, the buzzed-cut man highlighted in blue with his eyes burning red. Misaki gasped, as she believed he was HR004 and began reaching in her purse for her gun. However, she stopped from hearing Ruki cringing in pain and looked back, as he grabbed his chest while falling to the floor.

"Ruki!" she whimpered.

Misaki took out her gun and began heading towards her target. To her displeasure, the train pulled into the next station and hit its breaks, sending Misaki backwards while dropping her gun. She cursed from the fall, looked around for her gun to find it under a seat, and grabbed it to stand and aim it at her target.

However, he was gone.

She kneeled next to Ruki, cradling him, and shouted, "We need help! Help us please! My boyfriend is having a heart attack!"

A conductor ran into their car, looked down in shock, and pulled out his CB to yell, "Stop the north bound trains! I repeat, stop all north bound trains. Call for paramedics on the Shinjuku platform!

"Help is on the way, miss."

Misaki nodded, as she held onto Ruki.

"You're going to be all right. Just stay with me," she said.

He smiled up at her, saying, "I will always be with you, Misaki."

His eyes closed, as his last breath left his lips and his arm fell to his side.

"No, don't leave me, please! No! Ruki! Ruki! RUKI-KUN!"

**Present:**

Megumi stood before her boss in his office displeased that Suzuki Hachi was on the Foreign Affairs team. Hachi was next to her snarling.

"Sir, we don't need another person to fill Saitou's spot!" yelled Megumi. "Shoji, Sakura and I can handle things on our own!"

"I highly doubt it, Itashi," said Hachi.

"That's Chief Itashi, Detective Suzuki!" stated Hayate. He looked at Megumi. "You have no say in the matter. The higher-ups want four people on this team. They'd prefer five, but the country is lacking police officers."

"He'll get in the way, sir!" stated Megumi. "He's always trying to prove he's the best."

"I was trying to save your butt in China Town!" shouted Hachi, glaring at her. "You're the one who had to be the hero and almost gotten yourself killed!"

"If you didn't hold me up I might have gotten to him before the helicopter took off! And maybe, we would have gotten those Dolls as well!"

"That's enough! Both of you!" shouted Hayate. "Detective Suzuki! You will show your Chief respect, and Section Chief Itashi, you will show leadership, not pointing fingers."

"Yes, sir!" said Megumi and Hachi.

"Good! Get to work!"

Taking the lead, Megumi and Hachi exited Hayate's office and sat at their desk with Hachi taking Saitou's old seat. Megumi shook her head as she looked at her hologram screen.

Since the day had been slow on Contractor activity, Megumi spent most of her time reading up on drifting a battery-powered car. To her, it was trying to understand alchemy.

Before she knew it, a group of people, including Shoji and Sakura, walked up to her desk with a cake and a twenty-six candles on it. Hachi looked up from his work from the commotion, frowning at the celebration, and returned to his work.

"Happy birthday, Megumi!" everybody cheered.

She smiled on the outside, but on the inside she was dying. Today was supposed to be a wonderful day, but it was more like hell for the past thirteen years from losing her baby brother.

The coroners had said it was a heart attack, but Megumi knew there was more to it. It didn't make sense at how a child could have had a massive heart attack. She wanted to reopen the case, but she had been picked for the Foreign Affairs before she could wrap her fingers around it. Also, she knew her mother would have told her to let it be.

A female co-worker set the cake in front of her with Sakura saying, "Make a wish!"

There was one wish she made every year. It was to have her baby brother back.

She blew out the candle to have everybody cheering. The female co-worker cut up some slices and handed them out to other workers. Hachi ignored his share once it was placed in front of him.

Megumi continued hiding her true feelings, as she ate her slice and giggled with a few people.

"What's going on?" came Hayate's voice. The office became silent with everybody turning to face him. "Section-Chief Itashi, what's wrong with you, allowing such ruckus in here!"

"But, sir!" spoke up Shoji. "It's her birthday!"

"Can it, Detective!" He averted his eyes towards him and then at Megumi. Suddenly, to everybody's surprise, he smiled. "At least you could have invited me as well! I hope there's some cake left."

"Yes, sir, there is," nodded Megumi.

Hayate walked over to her table, took a slice, and ate it. He licked his lips, and said, "Hm! Strawberries! It's good. All right, get back to work, seriously."

"Yes, sir," said everybody, and did as they were told.

Around five in the afternoon, a call came in concerning a man walking around Shibuya in a black coat and white mask. Megumi thought it might be some prank, but a lead was a lead, and BK201 was the number one priority.

Megumi ordered Shoji to assist her in the matter. He gathered his things as best he could since his arm was still in a sling. The doctors suggested for him to take some time off but he insisted on working since he needed the cash.

"Wait! What about me?" Hachi asked.

"You stay here in case there's another spotting," said Megumi.

"Don't think so, Section-Chief!" yelled Hayate. "He goes too! He can help cover Shoji's back."

"Yes, sir." Megumi rolled her eyes.

Within twenty minutes, they were on the road heading for Shibuya. Hachi growled that he had to sit in the back while Shoji sat in the passenger seat, as though something was bugging him. It baffled Megumi he wasn't blurting out what was on his mind.

"Spill it!" she said.

"Huh? What?" he questioned, stupidly.

"You know what! Let it out!"

"I… ah? It's noth…"

"It's something, so out with it or I use M.E. to fish it out of you when we get back to HQ!"

"Why didn't you ever mention you had a brother?"

Hachi's eyes shifted towards the front, no doubt curious to learn more about her baby brother. He only knew of it from working under Megumi's mother.

"You're right. It's nothing," said Megumi.

"Now wait just one minute! You asked me what was on my mind, and now you're going to avoid it!"

"That's how she is," said Hachi, frowning.

Megumi's eyes glared at him for his big mouth, sighed while looking at Shoji, and said, "Yes, I had a baby brother. He… he died when he was two."

"Oh…! I'm sorry, Megumi," said Shoji. "What happened?"

Megumi explained the details to him.

"That is odd to have a heart attack for a newborn, but there has been some cases like that."

"I know, but there was nothing wrong when he was born. He didn't even have an enlarged heart.

"We're here." The car pulled over to let Megumi, Shoji and Hachi out. "Guns at the ready. Just in case."

They pulled out their guns from their holsters and roamed the less populated area. Megumi believed BK201 would be hiding in a secluded vicinity. They checked in dark alleys, abandoned buildings, and tight areas. Despite their effort, there was no sign of him.

Megumi let out a heavy sigh while holstering her gun, as did Shoji and Hachi. Why would BK201 be roaming around in broad daylight anyways?

They headed back to the car, Hachi hanging back for a few seconds to scan the area one last time. As Megumi and Shoji got within twenty yards of it, it exploded. Megumi and Shoji were thrown back a few feet and landed on their backs. Ringing filled her ears, along with excruciating pain from cuts and bruises and perhaps something that might be broken. Her vision was also hazy.

Megumi's first thoughts that came to her mind was Shoji, having her heart beating heavily with concern, or was it adrenaline pumping through her veins.

She tenderly turned on her side, cringing in agony as glass crackled and broke underneath her, and saw Shoji lying five feet away from her. Blood was seeping from his ears.

"Shoji!" she screamed, unable to hear her voice. "Shoji!"

She slowly rose to her knees, glass slipping off her body, and then carefully stood. None of her limbs seemed broken, and her ribs felt intact, but it did not do any justice to how she felt. If she had to describe it, it was like getting struck by a boulder with a mattress wrapped around it to cushion the blow.

Megumi achingly walked over to Shoji, dropped to her knees beside him, and shoved him while shouting, "Shoji!" still unable to hear. He didn't respond, which made her nerves shoot through the roof, or shock was overwhelming her. Suppressing her worries aside, she checked for a pulse on his neck and breathed in relief from finding one.

"Oh, thank gosh!" she babbled while sitting on her rear.

Hachi ran over, kneeled next to her and said something, which she couldn't hear. As a result she was forced to read his lips.

"_You all right?"_ he asked.

"Yes, and so is Shoji," she said. "Call 119!"

"_All right!"_

Hachi did as he was ordered.

Megumi noticed the squad car in flames, but could not hear the sizzling of the fire. People were gathering around the vicinity or popping their heads out windows.

Megumi pulled out her phone and sent a voice message to Sakura to inform her of their situation. She got a text response moments later that read, _"OMG! I've notified Commander Hayate!"_

Megumi put away her phone, removed her weapon while standing to scan the area, and prayed nobody was attempting to assassinate her and Hachi. To her relief, the ringing was subsiding to where she could make out the crackling of fire.

Believing nobody was going to make a jump on her and her teammates, Megumi holstered her gun, checked on Shoji and wondered what she should do to help him. She didn't want to move him in case he had a broken vertebra, but what if he had internal bleeding? If nothing was done, he might die.

Hachi waved to get her attention. She looked up, as he said, "An ambulance is on its way!"

Megumi nodded, pleased that help was on the way.

Unexpectedly, Shoji twitched, coughed, and then lay on his back.

"Shoji! Shoji! Can you hear me?"

"Loud… and… clear… Chief…!" he said between coughs.

He began to sit up, which made Megumi place her hand on his chest over his heart. As she did, she could feel it pounding as fast as hers, and it seemed to be in sync with hers as well. However, after realizing what she had done, her own heart skipped a beat to throw the timing off. Shoji looked down at it, and then up with concerned eyes.

He took her hand, sending goose bumps up it, and said, "I'm fine, Megumi."

Feeling squeamish, or sick from a rumbled up cake from the explosion, Megumi nodded and pulled her hand away from his.

From experiencing dizziness, or a throbbing headache, he slowly stood and looked back at the explosion, as he placed his right hand on his neck to stretch the kinks out.

"Agh, what happened?" he asked.

"Your car became a bomb," said Hachi.

"You think my insurance will cover the damages?"

In a time like this, Shoji seemed to always find a way to make wisecracks. Megumi would be surprised if either of them did not have any broken bones.

At the corner of her eye, she noticed a gray-balding man with glasses standing to her right. She looked at him suspiciously since he was acting very calm while staring at them.

As she eyed him, a memory seemed to surface before her, as if it were a forgotten dream. She gasped as it came swarming into her brain like a dam opening its floodgates.

**Thirteen Years ago:**

On her thirteenth birthday, Megumi, wearing her school uniform, was following her mother and Kanami through the mall as she pushed Li-chan's stroller. Li was still too young to show any of Misaki or Ruki's features, but he did have his father's blue eyes.

She had complained about going out clothes shopping every birthday with Kanami to get her gift, instead of opening it.

"But we need to make sure it fits right," Kanami had said, as long as Megumi could remember. However, this year, her comment had changed. "Don't you want to look cute for thirteen year old boys?"

"I don't!" Misaki had stated.

Megumi sighed at the memory, and then again when Kanami was about to lead them into another store.

"I'm staying out here!" yelled Megumi.

"What? But I still need to find you something to wear for the party tonight," said Kanami.

"Oh, I think I can find something out of those bags, Kanami-san."

Megumi pointed at her mother holding five bags in each hand before turning the stroller around to sit on a bench that had a candy stand nearby.

"Mah! I was hoping she wouldn't get that side of you, Misaki," moaned Kanami.

"I'm glad she did," smiled Misaki.

"Don't think you're getting out of it!" stated Kanami, as she dragged Misaki with her. "You need to find something as well. I plan on bringing some cute co-workers with me."

"Kanami! I told you I don't want to date right now!"

"Meaning never! You can't live all by yourself, Misaki. It's not healthy. It's more relaxing than you think since you've never been married!"

Megumi sighed at the two old friends, and hoped she wouldn't be like that with any of her close friends. She looked down at her brother to see he was playing with a Power Ranger figurine.

"Think I'm going to live at home to watch over you when I'm older," said Megumi. "Mommy's loony at times."

"Nut uh, mommy is mommy. Mommy not loony," said Li.

"Wait until you're ten. You'll see."

Li smiled, but then looked past her to eye the candy. He reached out to it, whimpering since he couldn't touch it.

"OneMegi, I want one. Please, OneMegi!"

Megumi turned around to look at the selection, and said, "You want Onnesan to get you candy. What do you want?"

"Pocky! Pockypockypocky!"

"Alright, alright, I'll get it for you."

Megumi stood to walk over to the stand, picked up a box, and paid for it while bowing at the clerk. The clerk's eyes widened at Megumi's generosity and bowed back. Megumi returned and gave the pocky to her brother. As he ate it, she sat while looking in the store to see her mother and Kanami still sorting through clothes.

Her mother seemed to be yelling about a low cut V-shape on a navy-blue shirt while pointing at Megumi and shaking her head. Kanami smiled, as she held the shirt against her chest, and said something. It was probably about getting boys attention, which her mother countered that it would get boys to look at her chest.

Megumi tightened her jaw line from the two old friends bickering over her.

A man close to his forties sat next to her. She looked at him, seeing he wore a business suit with a tie, glasses, and had a buzz cut that seemed to be receding.

"Cute kid. Yours?" he asked.

"What? No! He's my brother!"

"Oh, sorry. What's his name?"

"Li-chan."

"What a cute name. To bad he has to die."

"Eh?"

The next thing Megumi saw was the man glowing blue with his dark eyes burning red.

**Presen**t:

Megumi continued staring at the man she knew was from her dream. She took a hold of her gun to have Shoji look at her peculiarly, and looked in the direction, as she headed towards the gray-haired man.

He sighed, stood in pain to follow her lead with Hachi in tow, and knew he was going to feel it in the morning.

The gray-haired man turned to head down a nearby alley, as though trying to make a-get-away, and disappeared around a corner. Megumi hurried over to it, ignoring her muscles screaming at the horrific pain they were experiencing. Once she, Shoji, and Hachi turned it, they noticed he was standing in the middle of an intersection, glaring at them.

He then began to highlight in blue.

Gasping, Megumi aimed her gun at the gray-haired man, but stopped as Shoji gasped from a slight pinch on his heart. Her eyes widened, believing he was having a heart attack.

Suddenly, a blue car came storming in while screeching to a halt. The left side door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman wearing glasses and a yellow coat exiting it. She pointed her gun at the gray-haired man and fired a shot, making him withdraw his power and run off another corner. The pinch Shoji was feeling dissipated in the same instant.

"MOM?" shouted Megumi.

Ignoring Megumi, Misaki headed after the gray-haired man. As she turned the corner, a red fossil-fueled car peeled off. Misaki snorted and ran back to her car.

"Get in!" she ordered.

"What are…?"

"I'll explain later! Just get in!"

Megumi grabbed Shoji's arm and stormed into the car with him shuffling into the back and snapping on his seatbelt. Megumi settled into the passenger seat with Misaki taking the wheel. She slammed the shifter into first, gassed the car, and popped the clutch to squeal the tires. Because of the sheer torque, Megumi braced herself against it while Shoji's body sank into the back seat and his cheekbones felt as though a ton of weight was pressing on them.

"HEY! WHAT ABOUT ME?" shouted Hachi, as he watched the Porsche peel off.

Misaki swiftly shifted gears, only having a slight moment of lost speed. The extreme acceleration it put out, Shoji couldn't grasp. Megumi had forgotten the sheer power the Porsche gave off, and knew there were sports cars that were ten times faster.

They came up to an intersection in which Misaki slammed her foot on the brake and yanked the steering wheel hard left to make the car skid as though it were on ice.

"OOHHH!" yelled Shoji, as he desperately tried to brace against the car's sides. Megumi found the overhead handle to hold onto while grinding her teeth together. "OOOHHH… SSHHHIIIIEEETTT! THIS IS DRIFTIINNNNGGG!

Before they knew it, Misaki straightened out the car, and continued on without missing a beat. Megumi knew her mother was good, but even at her age it was impressive. She had to learn this technique herself.

Misaki pulled the steering wheel left to pass a vehicle, jumped back into her original lane to get by another car, and then back to the left. Megumi gasped while Shoji closed his eyes when Misaki hopped into the oncoming lanes to pass two cars riding side by side, and slipped back over in a split second.

"There you are!" shouted Misaki.

"What? Which car?" Megumi asked.

"The red car."

"Eh? Which one? There are four?"

"The only car that has a tailpipe!"

"Oh! Duh! Baka!"

Misaki fought desperately to keep the car in view, as the red fossil-fueled car zigzagged through traffic.

"What's going on?" Megumi screamed. "Who is that Contractor?"

"He's the one who killed Li-chan!" said Misaki, bluntly.

Megumi's jaw line tightened from proving her theory. Apparently her forgotten dream was a reality.

She braced herself as Misaki performed another drift. In the back, Shoji found his body being pressed against the side of the car due to the g-force.

"WOOAAHHAAHAA!"

"Look, I'm sorry for keeping this from you for thirteen years," continued Misaki, as she straightened out the car, "but your father isn't as kind-hearted as you think! Twenty-six years ago, your father and I got into a serious accident when I was pregnant with you. Your father was fine, but I was in serious condition. I was about to lose you.

"The doctors had to do an emergency c-section, but you were still in danger of dying. The accident was your father's fault. He felt he was going to lose you like his ex-wife, and swore he would do whatever it took to save you." Misaki paused for a few seconds. "Your father knew the right person for the job."

Megumi looked at her mother lost for words, not needing to hear the rest of the story since she was fitting them perfectly together for herself.

"Your father contacted that Contractor from earlier to save you. Danko is his codename. HR004 is his Messier Code. Once he saved your life, you would have thirteen years of good luck. However, there was a big price to pay, and it's one that Danko doesn't have to pay. Technically, the obeisance a contractor has to pay for falls onto the person he saves. There's two parts to it.

"The first part is that a blood relative has to die to save the life. Your father had Danko kill his sister. The second is: whenever your luck saves you from certain death or injury, someone close by you has to die."

Megumi forgot where she was at, as she remembered all the luck she had had, and the people by her side dying: Ryo, Hizumi, Saitou, and others who were innocent bystanders.

"There's one more catch," said Misaki, distracting Megumi's thoughts. "The contract has to be renewed on the same exact date by another bloodline."

Megumi gasped, realizing Li-chan had been sacrificed so that she could continue to live on. To keep from crying, she grinded her teeth, and fought with her agony.

"I'm sorry, Megumi. I found out a few days after Li-chan had died from Madame O. She even told me he was responsible for Ruki's death."

"Were you the one who used M.E. on me?"

Misaki gulped, and said, "Yes. I thought it was best that you didn't remember watching Li-chan dying before you. I take it your memory surfaced. I'm sorry, Megumi."

Megumi thought on her words for a few seconds.

"So, he's got to kill you in order for me to live another thirteen years," she said.

"Yes," nodded Misaki. "Your father had called in a bogus spotting about BK201 to get you here, and to have me come out of hiding."

"Then why are you here? Why aren't you hiding?"

Misaki glared at her daughter displeased, and said, "I can't believe you would say that? I'd die for you in a second! I'm here to risk my life to save yours! If I can kill Danko before midnight tonight, then you can live on without the curse you have on you now!"

Megumi stared at her for a second, and then nodded. Misaki kept on fighting through traffic while chasing the red car.

As they drew closer, Megumi roll down the window, stuck her body out to sit on the sill, and aimed her gun at the right back tire to shoot it. The tire blew out, making the driver lose control, and then flipped over four times, spewing out metal parts, glasses, and other things, before coming to a rest on its wheels one hundred yards away. Other cars came to a sudden stop, forcing Misaki to slam on her brakes.

Megumi braced herself from the sudden stop. Once it came to a halt, she slid out of the window to head over to the car, having Misaki scream, "No wait! He kills people by stopping his or her heart!"

Megumi had figured that out already.

Shoji shuffled out of the back and followed. Within seconds, Megumi reached the destroyed car that was now leaking gas. Her nose twitched and burned from the stench of the fuel, and peeked in the car to see a man that wasn't Danko. She checked for a pulse, didn't feel one and sighed as Misaki and Shoji joined her.

"He's not here," she said. "He probably didn't even get in the car. Who knows where he is now."

"I do," said Misaki. "Apparently it's too dangerous for him to kill me, and since he's still bound to renew the contract, he's still entitled to carry it out."

"So he's going after daddy."

Xxx

Charlie watched Minister Chaplin talk to the press about the bill that would start a chain reaction and bring down the American Government right from under their nose. The suspense of how things would turn out was intense: at least he hoped he would get to see how things turned out.

He prayed his daughter wouldn't find out the truth of what he had done. The thought of her never forgiving him tore at his heart like a thousand spoons. The burden of carrying the secret from her was torturing him.

After Chaplin finished talking about his bill, he walked off the stage with Charlie in tow.

Once they were out of ear range, Chaplin said, "Fools! They have no idea what's coming." He gazed at Charlie to see his friend a little disoriented. "You okay?"

"Yes! I'm fine!" Charlie lied.

"You look like the grim reaper paid you a visit last night," said Chaplin.

"Danko did. He went after Misaki, but I haven't heard anything yet."

"Doesn't mean anything either. I need your head on straight these next few months. It's going to be critical."

"Don't worry, I'm good."

"I hope so, old friend."

At half past eleven, Chaplin and Charlie parted ways. Charlie entered his car to start it up, but before he did, he glanced in his back seat. To his fortune, there wasn't anybody in it, and smiled.

It seemed Misaki was dead and he was in the clear.

He set in the coordinates to his place, thinking things were looking up for him. Perhaps he could find Danko in these next thirteen years and kill him before time ran out. If anything, perhaps his daughter would have a child of her own so that Danko would take he or she. Although, he preferred it was he.

Even though, the contract was stated any blood relative of Megumi would die to ensure her life span.

Sometimes he wished he had another option to save his baby girl, but that happened to be the only choice he had at the time.

A thought crossed his mind and checked his phone. His eyes twitched to see he hadn't received any new calls: especially from Megumi. He figured someone would have contacted her as soon as possible, but it seemed that she hadn't been notified. Perhaps he should call her?

No! That would only stir up suspicion. Things had to take its course and he would have to deal with his daughter's depression when it surfaces.

After pulling up to his temporary apartment, Charlie exited his car and began heading for the staircase, but stopped as he noticed a bald old man standing a few feet away from it.

Charlie's heart started racing as fast as the bullet train.

This wasn't good.

Danko had never made a second appearance on the same day when he had to kill someone. Misaki was still alive.

Charlie dropped his stuff and stared down death itself to show he wasn't going to fight. Danko began to glow blue, but as he did, a roar of an engine could be heard in the distance where bright lights shined harshly at them. Danko and Charlie looked towards it to see a car blazing in their direction. Danko ran off to disappear around the building, as someone fired a shot to have it strike the corner of the concrete wall.

The car came to a screeching halt to reveal it was a blue Porsche with the window rolled halfway down to show Kirihara Misaki in it. She glared over her glasses at him with eyes that would scare the Black Reaper as well.

Charlie fought to stare back at them, and said, "What are you doing? Why didn't you let him kill me? Megumi would have lived for another thirteen years!"

The passenger door opened, surprising Charlie that Misaki had a partner, and figured it was Hazuki. However, it turned out to be his daughter who was giving him the same expression as her mother.

"Me—Megumi…?"

She tightened her jaw line at him, and then ran after Danko. Charlie opened his mouth to stop her, but he held his tongue, as Misaki opened her door to gaze at her ex-husband with a stern look.

"Don't even try to explain," she said, and ran after Danko.

Charlie fell to his knees as his world came crashing down. His worst fear had finally surfaced, and now his daughter was trying to clean up his mess. Hopefully some day she would find it in her heart to forgive him.

He looked down at his watch to see she only had five minutes left until midnight.

Meanwhile, behind Charlie's apartment, Megumi looked around for Danko with her gun at the ready. She turned to her left at an open fence to see nothing, checked to her right at a dark alley with one streetlight, and then forward while continuing her search.

Coming up to another open fence, she glanced to her right and saw a black cat with a red collar and bell holding something in its mouth. It jumped onto the fence before disappearing into the dark. Megumi averted her attention from it, and found her hands being kicked to have her gun fly off in the distance. She was kneed in the stomach and then kicked across the face to knock her to the ground. As she fell, she kicked out Danko's legs and stood, as Danko rolled off his back to jump back onto his feet and perform a right jab to have it parried. Megumi let loose a mean right hook to have Danko duck it and strike her side, having her cringe, and then was struck with a left hook. While stumbling, she was struck by a roundhouse kick to knock her to the ground.

"Foolish girl!" shouted Danko. "The longer you get in the way, the more chances you die! In fact, you have three minutes left!"

Megumi coughed from the pain. Danko grabbed her to pick her up so he could knock her around some more, but he ended up using her as a shield, as Misaki came up with her gun pointing at him. Misaki hesitated, which made Danko smile in pleasure, and highlighted in blue to finish her off.

Knowing that she was about to witness her mother's death, Megumi felt her heart sink, as tears rolled down her cheek.

"MMOOMM!"

Misaki lowered her gun to accept defeat so that her daughter could continue living. It seemed her life had flashed by like a bolt of lighting, and the last thing she saw was her son, Li, smiling at her. She was going to see him once more.

Unexpectedly, Charlie charged out of nowhere to step in front of Misaki. He felt a sharp pain strike his heart, as though a hot knife had pierced it and snatched at it, cringing in pain while falling backwards. Misaki and Megumi looked on shocked with Danko releasing Megumi to run off.

Misaki and Megumi kneeled next to Charlie with Misaki cradling him. Megumi pulled out her phone and dialed 119. Within seconds, an EMT appeared before them.

"Please help us! Cabinet Itashi is having a heart-attack at his apartment!"

"_Help is on the way!" _replied the EMT.

She threw down her phone and glared at her father.

"Daddy, why?" Megumi asked.

"Be—because… I… I love you…"

Charlie's eyes became heavy, and then he breathed his last breath. Misaki sighed, fighting her own emotions while laying him down, and stood to charge after Danko, as tears stormed out of Megumi's eyes.

Megumi placed her hands on him while burying her face on his chest, crying her heart out after losing someone else she loved dearly because of her cursed luck. Swallowing her pride and wiping away her tears, she stood and followed her mother.

Xxx

Danko continued to run down the alley to get as far away as possible. Occasionally he looked over his shoulder to see if anybody was following. Believing the coast was clear, he began walking at a steady pace.

He had had close calls with other _clients, _but that one was too close. That family did have their issues to sort out, and it should be easier with only two left.

There was a meow to his right, which made him whip his head towards it and see a black cat with a red collar. Danko frowned at it, but then he found himself standing before an old man wearing big glasses blocking his path.

"Can I help you?" he asked, his right eyelid rising curiously.

Without warning, the old man charged at him while pulling out a knife, and swung it at him. Danko freaked out and jerked his body back to avoid having his throat slashed. He then highlighted in blue to have the old man grab at his heart and drop to his knees. Grinding his teeth, Danko kicked the old man across the face to have his big glasses shatter into pieces.

"What's the deal, old man?" he questioned. "I could kill you in a second, but for some reason, I'm thinking irrationally and want to know who you are and why you're after me?" Danko grabbed the old man's shirt to stand him up and noticed his eyes were midnight blue. "Who are you?"

"Someone who's trying to kill you," said someone behind him.

Danko held his grasp on the old man and looked over his shoulder to see the Black Reaper. Danko threw the old man to the ground and focused his attention on the reaper.

"You're supposed to be dead!" he said. The Black Reaper stayed quiet. "Madam O. sent you two! She's still displeased I left her. Sorry for thinking irrational. I don't know what came over me, but I think it had to do something about being held back." The Reaper still didn't respond. "Heh! No matter. It's stupid for either of you to come after me. Now you're going to die for real this time."

Danko focused his power on the Black Reaper, but nothing happened. He extinguished his power and glared at the reaper confused. The only reason why his power didn't work on him was if BK201 was under his wings, but he didn't recall saving his life.

He looked back at the old man who was still having a heart attack, believing the two had to be related somehow. Part of the old man's face seemed to have peeled away. A thought came to Danko, causing his eyes to widen.

The old man gathered his bearings, stood, and grabbed his face to rip it off with his gray hair. He revealed a man who looked to be in his fifties and had graying black hair.

"You! You're BK201!" shouted Danko. He pointed back at the masked man. "And he! He has to be related to you! A son!"

The man in the mask removed it to show a face similar to Hei's and blue eyes that seemed colder than any sheet of ice.

"Idiot…! Put your… mask on!" demanded Hei.

"Why, old man? The gig is up!" questioned the ice blue-eyed man.

"For… him!"

Without realizing it, a line of wire had been wrapped around Danko's ankle. Hei highlighted in blue and shocked Danko, having him shake and scream out in pain. Hei released his power to have the dead Contractor and his star fall to the ground.

Hei breathed in easily and let it out in pleasure that his mild heart attack had ended. The ice blue-eyed man frowned while looking away, which caught Hei's attention.

"Did I disappoint you that I didn't die?" he asked.

"Every time, old man!"

Misaki charged into the scene while pointing her gun at them. Hei gazed at her with his usual look, as the ice blue-eyed man pursed his lips. Misaki gasped as her eyes fell upon Hei.

"Li… kun…?" she mumbled.

"She doesn't give up, does she?" questioned the fake BK201.

Within seconds, Megumi appeared, making the fake BK201's eyes widen in shock.

Her eyes focused on Danko's dead body, making her gasp, and then turned her attention onto the gray-haired man. There was a rubbery mask by his feet with gray hair, making her believe he was the old man she had been searching for. The way her mother was frozen to the bone, he was BK201.

Megumi could see why she had fallen in love with him. Even at his age he looked handsome with a smooth collarbone, and his eyes glimmered brighter than the ocean. They looked familiar, as though she had stared at them before, but she wasn't sure where she had seen them before. She then remembered there was another man present, and turned to face him.

She held her firm pose, daring for either of them to make a move, but then it diminished. Her heart began to race faster than the Fast Five, and her stomach became tied up in knots.

"Hi—Hizumi?"

Unexpectedly, a black cat jumped out of nowhere to drop a smoke bomb. Misaki and Megumi coughed while waving at the smoke, and then passed out.


	19. Chapter 19

Generation New

An Unforgotten Vexatious Past Part one:

Hei knelt in his little abandon apartment eating a few bowls of ramen in front of his small table with the television broadcasting reruns of Naruto. His son, who had adopted the name Hizumi, sat opposite him resting his head on his hand. He glared at Hei, disgusted at his appetite, while listening to a song called, _Old Man, _by _Redlight King _on his phone.

He wore a white button up shirt, blue pants, and a red baseball cap that he used to hide his features out in public. Luckily, Megumi hadn't seen his face the day he was tailing the woman in the red dress a while ago. Because of that incident, Hei got to her contact before he could and didn't hear the end of it for weeks.

"How is it that you never got fat?" he asked.

Stuffing his face, Hei ignored his offspring by pushing the bowl he had finished aside and grabbing another one to gobble it in minutes. Hizumi shook his head with a frown and stood to leave the apartment.

"You should be as round as a hot air balloon," he said, as he exited the place.

Hei continued eating his food, unaffected by Hizumi's comment, as though he was a ghost. He did it on purpose at times, knowing it irritated him. The boy hated him for killing his mother, and he didn't blame him.

She had opened a door he couldn't close even to this day, which made him feel as though God was torturing him. The past was best kept closed since it made his days easier, but these last twenty-six years had felt like five generations. One was bad enough.

Hei cared for the boy, but at times, he felt lost like Anakin Skywalker and wondered which path to take. For now, he would follow his gut.

There was a knock at his door. Hei withdrew from his meal to stare at it for a second. It better not be his son forgetting his key again.

He set his food down, stood, and walked over to peek through the peephole. He frowned and opened the door to reveal the Empress and her pet Mao.

"HI!" chimed Madam Oreille, as she raised her right hand upwards.

"If you're looking for my kid, you just missed him," he said, bluntly.

"Actually, I caught him just a few seconds ago. But I didn't come to speak with him, I came here to speak with you."

"Why?"

"I heard you ran into your old detective friend. Must have been nostalgic!"

"No. Why would it be since I know she's working for you as well? What do you really want?"

"Things are moving faster than I had anticipated. Chaplin will have his police force up and running soon, and when he does, our only hope of keeping this city together will come crashing down, along with the whole of Japan, and then other countries."

"Don't forget you and your underground group started it all with Yin. And also, I told you that whatever happens, I could care less."

"You will if Kirsi gets caught up in it."

Hei's eyes burned with fury after mentioning her name, and said, "I told you she is off limits. Anything happens to her, you will regret it dearly."

"I have no intentions of hurting her, but she could be placed in the line of fire if Chaplin gets his way. You love her as much as you do Bai, right?"

Hei was millimeters away from calling on his powers to electrocute Oreille. She was pushing all the wrong buttons, as though a kid left alone in a nuclear power plant. However, he settled himself down before he had the whole Underground after him.

"What do you propose?" he asked.

"A truce! With the Foreign Affairs."

If Hei had a single funny bone in his body, he would have laughed hysterically, but he instead narrowed his eyes, and said, "And how do you do that when the Foreign Affairs work for Chaplin?"

Oreille smiled while saying, "Not for long."

She turned on her heels and left the apartment with Hei pondering on her words. What did she mean by that? Did she have a plan in motion already, or was it something else?

Hei ignored it, sat back down, and began eating his meal. Whatever the case was, he would deal with it when it came up, as he always had.

Xxx

**Twenty-six years ago**

Hei woke up suddenly to see he was in a small hut draped in a blanket. He patted at the spot where he had been dealt a killing blow, but there was no wound.

"Hei!" whispered a woman.

Turning to his right, he noticed Amber kneeling next to him with a dark skinned man. His eyes widened, remembering someone had pretended to be her, and began backing away.

"Who are you?" he shouted.

"Amber," she pleaded.

"No! You're dead! You died four years ago!"

Amber gasped, averting her eyes away while giving a displeased expression, but regained her composure, and looked back at him.

"I gave you a charm in South America," she said, puzzling Hei. "I said to you, 'I hope it makes you smile.'"

"How…? I never told anybody about that night! Who are you?"

"If you don't believe who I am, that is fine. This name I had been given, it's really just a code name." Hei's right eye twitched. She looked back at the dark-skinned man. "Marco, can you get a loaf of bread, and bring some marmalade and whipped cream for me since I like it on mine."

The dark-skinned man nodded, turned around and left. Hei stared at the person who looked like the woman he knew as Amber. Was she truly her, or was this some kind of game that this person was playing to gain his trust.

"Why did you save me?" he asked, figuring he would get to the point.

She looked at him baffled.

"Would you have rather died?"

"If you are Amber, why would you do such an irrational thing?"

Amber glared at the floor, looking as though Hei had struck her in the gut, giving her a sick feeling. Staring back at him, she said, "Still clueless about a woman's feelings."

She stood to leave the hut. Aching slightly, Hei rose to his feet and exited the hut wearing only his pants. To his surprise, he found himself in a small hut-like village with a dozen dark-skinned people.

The man called Marco came up to him with a loaf of bread, butter, and whip cream.

"Where's Amber?" Marco asked with a straight face.

**Present**

Hei entered his room after finishing his meal, laid down on a futon and placed his hands behind his head. Things were going to get interesting, but he didn't care. Once he was done with his latest task, he would head out: with or without his son. He was going to let the kid decided which path he wanted to take: either with him, Madame Oreille, or take his chances with Kirihara's daughter.

Speaking of his kid, he wondered what kind of trouble he was getting into. No doubt he was picking a fight with someone at a bar, or doing something irrational.

Hei closed his eyes to get some sleep, but kept from falling into a deep sleep in order to prevent his son from trying to slit his throat.

Xxx

Hizumi stood on top of a building complex in the middle of the night with a strong breeze blowing on him while looking at a particular apartment that still had its lights on. Inside it was Itashi Megumi getting ready for bed.

She was an attractive woman. In a way, she reminded him of his mother. He had little memories of her due to Hei killing her, but the ones he had were pleasant. Hatred infuriated his soul for Hei taking her away from him, and he swore to make him pay for it.

In a way, Megumi seemed to dispel all the uneasiness, but Hei had to ruin everything for him like always.

Xxx

Megumi rushed out of bed on time to start a new day of work. To her displeasure, it was pouring heavily outside.

Her thoughts dwelled on Hizumi who seemed to have risen from the great beyond, or at least she believed that had happened. She knew the person she had saw on the night of her father's death was Hizumi by his eyes. They were sterilizing, even if they weren't hidden behind glasses.

How was it possible? Was he actually killed by BK201 and then a Contractor revived him?

No! Hizumi had to have been the one behind the mask due to the build and age complex that BK201, or rather yet, the New Black Reaper, looked to have had. Nonetheless, it still didn't explain the Hizumi she had gone out on a date with. The only logical conclusion she came up with was that he had been a Doll with Hizumi's memories, or at least some of it. She couldn't test her theory since the body had been cremated and buried in some cemetery.

There was one thing she had been right about; he had no next of kin. Without knowing his true name, she couldn't figure out his past, and she believed the people he worked for wanted to keep it like that. Why did she always fall for the wrong men?

Pushing the thought away, she dressed in her usual button up white shirt, kaki black pants, and black shoes.

Megumi left her apartment, headed down the stairs where her car waited for her, sat in it and entered her work's address into the GPS before lying back to get some shut-eye while her car drove off.

The sides of the streets had small streams of water flowing down it. The sidewalks were blanketed with different colored umbrellas, and pedestrians who tried running through the rain, were doused from head to toe.

Twenty minutes later, her car pulled into the Foreign Affair's garage and parked, making her sigh since she wanted at least another five more minutes. She exited her car and stepped onto the elevator to ascend to level four.

Once it reached her level, she departed the elevator to walk over to her desk and sat before it. Her teammates looked over at her perplexed, forcing her right eyelid to rise and peer at them.

"What?" she asked, sarcastically.

"I thought you had the whole week off to recuperate after the loss of your father?" pointed out Shoji.

"It's been three days since his funeral. I'm bored sitting at home, so I figured a little work would help me out."

"A little… work?" questioned Sakura.

"Yes! Is something wrong?"

"This isn't like you, Megumi!" said Hachi. "When you were a street cop back in Yokohama, you took time off whenever you could."

"And here too, before Ryo lost his life!" said Shoji. "What's with you?"

"I guess I'm taking some responsibilities now."

"Or your mother is rubbing off on you!"

Megumi stared at Shoji, as she took in his words. Her mother was, and still is, a workaholic, and she told herself she would never be like that. The notion of arriving at work before sunrise and refusing to leave after sunset was ludicrous. It was more appropriate to have a life outside of work, and perhaps have a relationship with someone before turning thirty, which she thought she was going to have with Hizumi, but it seemed an inner being was starting to push that aside. If that were to be, to live like a slave to the world, then so be it.

However, she still wasn't going to eat greasy food.

Megumi averted her eyes to concentrate on her work. Her co-workers frowned from her silent treatment.

Within minutes, Hayate exited his office and signaled for Megumi to enter it. Standing while sighing, she headed over to walk into it and closed the door. Her commander stood before his desk, crossed his arms, and leaned back to glare at her.

Megumi looked away from him, and then back to say something, but Hayate threw up his right hand to stop her.

"You don't have to explain to me why you're back," he said, crossing his arms again, "and I don't care." Megumi slanted her eyes. "I called you in here for another reason. You already know about the Prime Minister's plan to reestablish the police force here in Tokyo, right?"

"Yes, sir. It's to help reduce our work load so that we can concentrate more on foreign immigrations and Contractors."

"So he says."

"Sir?"

"Megumi, what I'm about to tell you stays between you and me."

She looked at him baffled, surprised that he had said her given name instead of her title and heritage name. Megumi nodded that she agreed.

"I don't trust the Prime Minister," he said. "I believe he's up to something, especially this reuniting police force crap, but I don't know what it is."

"You don't think I know since my father worked with him, do you, sir?"

"If he didn't tell you about his little contract with that Contractor, then I doubt he told you or your mother about Prime Minister Chaplin's plan. I just wanted to tell you to keep your eyes and ears open."

**Twenty-six years ago**

Hei roamed around the small village with Marco following. Irritated that he had an extra shadow, he turned around and placed his hand on top of Marco's head. Marco glared at Hei while keeping his composure.

"You best either tell me what I want to know or leave me along. If not, I will kill you," said Hei.

"You wouldn't be able to," said Marco.

Hei grinded his teeth, and began to call on his power. However, like two years ago after Suou saving him, nothing happened.

"What the?" he questioned, while removing his hand.

"You had died, Hei," said Amber from behind him. He turned around to stare at her dumbfounded. "You were killed by that swordsman, who made your star fall. I had Marco bring you back to life."

Hei glared back at Marco who smiled to show crooked yellow and missing teeth.

"You welcome!" he chimed.

"Smiling and following people around for a year is his price," said Amber. "May not sound like much, but it's irritating to a Contractor. It's not rational."

Hei stared back at Amber, and said, "And my powers?"

"Gone, of course, which sprung up a lot of problems, it would seem. Heaven's Gate reappeared. The news media is going crazy about your death. Funny how these things happen."

"Where's my stuff?" he growled.

"At the tent."

Hei turned around to head back to it with Marco and Amber following. Within minutes, he entered it, threw on his clothes, and exited the tent where his two chauffeurs waited for him.

"You're leaving, aren't you?" she asked.

"Why should I stay?" he questioned.

"It's safe here. She won't find you."

"She? Who is she?"

Amber looked away to gaze at the small village and smiled while saying, "Look at this place. Peaceful. No worries here. Everything is so quiet. Someone like me could live in a place like this and get use to it."

"Amber!" shouted Hei, as he grabbed her arm to spin her around. "Stop playing games with me. Whom are you talking about?"

Her smile vanished.

"You know whom," she said, and walked off.

How would Madam Oreille know he had been resurrected?

**Present**

Megumi sat next to Shoji in her car late at night, as it drove towards an apartment complex. A Mexican immigrant by the name of Miguel Perez was in the city illegally after his papers had expired. He had moved here for a better life for his family and had tried several times to become an American citizen to stay in Tokyo, but he had been refused. They were supposed to be on a plane this morning, but they never checked in for boarding.

Megumi was relieved to receive an easy case after all the Contractor incidents.

"I heard it happens to even the best," said Shoji.

"What?" Megumi mumbled, as she snapped out of her daze.

What was he getting at now, and what did he mean by his statement? Did somebody tell him that she couldn't perform in bed?

"About finding out your boyfriend is connected to BK201."

Megumi glared at him, opened her mouth to say something while raising her right index finger, but she held her tongue and tightened her jaw line.

What did he know about her? How dare he judge her as well! She didn't have to explain herself or her emotions to anybody: especially him.

As her car came to a stop, she exited it and slammed the door shut while heading up to the apartment. Shoji sighed and followed her.

Megumi reached room 156, knocked on the door, and shouted, "Open up, Senor Perez! You're under arrest!" There was no response, as Shoji joined her, pissing her off that he was in her presence again, and slammed her fist on it. "OPEN UP, POR FAVOR!"

"Megumi!"

"WHAT?" she rounded on him.

Shoji pointed at the ground, indicating blood was seeping from under the door. They drew their guns and then Megumi kicked in the door. They aimed their guns and cautiously entered the room. To her dismay, they saw Miguel, his wife, and son dead on the ground with bullet wounds to the back of their heads. She also noticed three bullet holes in the window.

"Looks like this has turned into a homicide," said Shoji.

**Past**

A year had past since Hei had left the little village in the southern portion of Africa. He had been grateful to get Marco off his back a week prior and had lost count at how many times he wanted to kill him.

Hei had traveled northeast to the Kingdom of Heaven and beyond to make his way towards a small town named Masyaf. It stood on rugged land sandwiched between tree-covered mountains and a disfigured castle.

The season had turned cold, making Hei pull out his purple coat and beanie cap. He thought about downing a few drinks to warm up his blood, but thought best to stay away from alcohol for the time being.

Snow flurries fluttered around the miniature city from the heavy winds, giving it a bone-chilling feeling to where the occupants wrapped his or her arms around their bodies. Hei ignored it at times, but occasionally he considered growing a beard to shield the pin-needle cold against his face. He decided to continue shaving since he hated the itching feeling from facial hair.

Hei came up to a small white apartment complex, ascended up to the second floor, and headed over to room 201. Pulling out a key, he fitted it into a keyhole and opened the door to enter his room. He quickly closed it, took off his coat to toss it on the bed, and turned on the television which was broadcasting the local news.

"_In today's news, war has broken out in South America once more," _said a young middle-eastern man. _"It seems, after centuries of peace between the two countries, The Americans and English governments no longer see eye-to-eye. The first indication of the two country's dispute started when the CIA took over Japan, and now it seems after Heaven's Gate has returned due to BK201's demise, an all out war has broken out. _

"_It is also believed that the U.S. and England won't be the only countries fighting for control of South America. Russia, China, and even the Pakistani government will be getting involved. Some annalists believe this will spark World War Three in the coming months._

"_And now, sports. It seems Manchester United will be down their best player after a Liverpool player had tripped him, preventing a goal and resulting in him breaking his leg."_

Hei tuned out the news as he began sorting out his belongings. There was his coat, which did him little good, his wire that would snap from his weight sooner or later, and a few dull knives.

Being a dead man had its benefits. Nobody was looking for or hunting him down. However, it did have its downfalls. It was hard for him at times to get a job since they needed birthdates and Social Security Numbers, but he did find work that paid under the table. Unfortunately, they never lasted, mostly because he couldn't stay in one place too long.

Hei stood to enter his bathroom and changed for his minor job. He was helping a young woman who ran a small restaurant and couldn't afford full coverage to a night cleaning crew. Overhearing her talking about it as he stuffed his face with his usual _light_ brunch, Hei offered to work under the table. She was hesitant at first, but caved in.

He placed on a black shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone, black kaki pants, and black dress shoes. Hei exited the bathroom to grab his coat, turned off his television, and headed out. Swiftly descending the stairs, he hurried over to the restaurant that was a few blocks over. The city was compact like Tokyo, but the buildings were rugged and seemed as though they had been stacked on each other. A few looked like they were held together with sticks and stones.

The buildings had a murky white color to them with a few roofs made out of tan tiles. The streets were narrow with clothes hanging over it and cars pulled as far as they could go over the curves.

Hei reached his destination and entered a ragged building that had a defaced door and a cracked window. However, the inside was the opposite. It had a dimly lit atmosphere that had different color patterns and incense burning throughout the place. The only downfall was lack of space, which forced the owner to place tables closely together for little room.

He hurried over to the back to slip through string beads that where hung before a doorway. In the back were a few chefs dressed in white, cooking frantically to keep up with orders. In the mist was a young Asian woman with black hair and blue eyes talking with one of her workers. She wore a black chefs outfit to distinguish herself from her employees.

She averted her eyes towards Hei, smiled, and hurried over to him.

"Li! You're early!" she said, as she stepped before him.

"I figured since it's a Saturday, I'd give you a hand as a waiter, Cho" said Hei, giving his usual Li smile.

"Oh! I guess I can try and pay you extra today for the help. Have you had any experience as one?"

"Yes. And don't worry. Tips from the customers will be enough."

"Are you sure?" Hei nodded. "Okay! Tables five through eight are yours."

Hei grabbed a few trays from the counter and hurried out of the back to serve the customers. Cho followed and watched him place the plates down with a smile that could light up a room. She blushed, wondering how a handsome man like him was jumping from one city to another instead of glued to one spot with a cute girlfriend or wife.

Pushing it aside, she reentered the back to continue her work.

The hours ticked by like nothing, and with Hei's help, they were able to cut down wait times for customers. Before they knew it, they were closing the place up. The chefs patted Hei on the back while leaving to head for a nearby bar.

"If you get done early, Li, come party with us!" said a tall chef with a long crooked nose.

"Eh, sure," smirked Hei.

The chefs waved later with Cho closing the door. She turned to face him, and said, "Since you helped us today, I'm returning the favor. I'll do the whole back and you the front. How's that?"

"You don't have to. I'm fine working all night since I'm a night owl," replied Hei.

"And miss out on some fun with co-workers? Come on, Li. You need to lighten up. And besides, I insist," she flirted.

Smiling Li-ishly, Hei scratched the back of his head. He believed he needed to tone down his so-called charming ways: especially around women. Cho began to wash the dishes while Hei placed the chairs on the tables to sweep the floor, working his way from the front and over to the back like he always did. Once he was done, he started mopping the floor.

Two hours later, the place was spotless to where Hei could see his own reflection in the floor.

Cho came up to him and handed over his pay. He took it, looking through the wad of money, and noticed a few extra bills.

"Consider it a bonus, Li," she said, blushing slightly. "Err, how about we hit a bar. I'm sure one is still open."

"Eh, I would love to, but…" began Hei.

"Just this once, Li, please? My treat. You said it yourself. You're a night owl, so…! It won't hurt to live a little."

"I… it's just… I don't want to give the wrong impression. I don't know how long I can stay here."

"Then all the more reason to see the town while you're here!"

Hei stared at her a few seconds, nodded, and followed her out of the restaurant. They walked a few blocks to enter a small bar that was rectangular in length, doused in smoke from floor to roof, and playing some Arabian music. A dozen people had gathered in the place to occupy a few tables staggered along the back wall. Bottles of liquor lined the back shelves behind the bar.

Cho and Hei scooted around a few tables and came up to their fellow workers that were gathered at the bar.

"Hey! You guys made it!" yelled one of the chefs. "Li! Let me buy you a drink!"

"Stand in line, Malik!" said Cho. She waved down the bartender. "Two tequilas."

The bartender placed down two cups in front of Hei and Cho, and poured them their drinks. Cho raised her glass before Hei's, which he looked at awkwardly, and clicked it to each other. She downed hers and placed it back on the counter, as Hei continued to stare at his.

Cho eyed him, saying, "Live a little, Li!"

Hei sighed, and chugged his drink while slamming it on the counter. Cho, Malik and the other chefs cheered and poured him another drink.

Xxx

Cho and Hei walked through the deserted streets of Masyaf, oblivious to the cold air from the alcohol swarming through their veins.

Without realizing it, they reached her apartment. The concrete was rugged looking, like every building, had two levels with a tin-rusted roof, and clothes line stretched across the street. They headed up to her floor and passed two rooms before stepping in front of her door. The number on it read 202.

"Feel better?" she asked, her cheeks blush red.

"Yes," he said.

"That's what you get when you have a little fun, Li. Wanna come in?"

"No, I think it's best if I head home."

"Already done having fun?"

"No. It's just… I don't want to get too close. It's hard to explain."

Cho looked into his blue eyes, walked up to him to place her hand on his chest, and said, "Afraid of getting hurt?"

Li averted his eyes away, saying, "Afraid of losing someone, like always."

"You won't lose me, Li."

Hei looked at her startled, and then found her lips on his.


	20. Chapter 20

Generation New

An Unforgotten Vexatious Past Part two:

**Twenty-five years ago**

Six months had past in which Hei decided to stay in Masyaf longer than he had intended. His reasons happened to be Cho. He believed since his life had been spared and the world assumed BK201 was dead, he had a chance at a second life.

They were at the restaurant with Hei waiting on tables and Cho in the back giving orders. The two had become a team during work hours and a couple afterwards. Their co-workers teased them occasionally, saying that Cho was the one wearing the pants.

However, it was still risky. The only benefit he had going for him was that he was in a small country that had no quarrels with any of the world leaders.

The person he was most concerned about was Madam Oreille. Apparently it seemed she knew he was still alive, but how? She was a woman that was more of a mystery than the Bermuda Triangle.

Hei thought telling Cho about his past, but he figured it was too soon. He had deep feelings for her, different than what he had for Amber, Yin, Misaki, and even Suou. At times, he felt guilty for falling for someone, and wondered if it was best to leave Cho and continue on being alone.

To a Contractor, that would be the rational thing to do, but he wasn't one anymore: at least not at the moment.

Hei hurried into the back to see Cho talking with Malik and pointing at another burner. He nodded and headed over to cook a customer's meal on it. Hei walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, making her smile.

However, to her, business came before pleasure, and pulled away while waving her index finger before him, saying, "No, No, Li! You'll have to wait 'til later."

"What if I can't," teased Hei.

"There is a bathroom to your right," she smirked.

"Care to give me a _hand?_"

Cho eyed him while frowning, but gave a lopsided smile, as she turned away to cook.

"Table seven, _lover boy_," said Cho, pointing at the dishes next to her.

Hei scooped them up and headed into the front. Cho flipped and tossed the meal she was working on, threw in some spices, and repeated her action for fifteen minutes. Once the food was cooked, she placed it on a plate and gave it to a waitress.

"Abbas! Take over for me here!" said Cho. "I need to take a quick cigarette break!"

"Sure thing, Cho!" said a short stubby man, and stepped before her grill.

Cho walked to the back of the kitchen and exited through the emergency door. She leaned up against the wall, pulled out her cigarettes to take one, and lit it. She puffed on it for a second and then let it out.

Li hated when she smoked and pleaded with her to quit. She had been smoking since she was fifteen and didn't intend to stop anytime soon. However, she should think about quitting for future events.

"Still can't kick the habit?" asked a woman.

Cho looked to her right, and then her eyes widened with her jaw dropping to have her cigarette fall from her mouth. Before her stood a woman with blond hair that shaped to her face, had on purple lipstick, and wore a fur coat.

"Madam Oreille!" she gasped.

"It's been a while, Yayumi Yoko."

Xxx

Hei walked the streets of Masyaf looking for a gift for Cho. It was their six-month anniversary tonight and he wanted to find the best gift. Jewelry came across his mind, but there were only a few stores. He considered clothes but he wasn't sure of her size. Perhaps he should take her out to eat.

Suddenly, the streets darkened, feeling as though time had stopped. He began to walk in hope it would answer some questions, but to his luck, he ended up walking what seemed like hours.

Was it hours or days? No, it felt more like years. He wasn't sure anymore. Death seemed like the only answer at ending this nightmarish feeling.

"Is it really a nightmare, Nisan?" echoed his sister's voice from behind him.

He turned around to see she was wearing her South American jumpsuit.

"Xing?" he questioned.

"Do you think of this so bad that you would consider it a nightmare?" questioned someone else. Hei spun around and saw Chiroki. "Do you think I was a nightmare?"

"What?"

"Or perhaps I was?" stated another voice.

He turned around and saw Mai standing where Xing had stood. What was going on?

"No, I was!" said Havoc to Mai's right. "He felt guilty that I was killed by November Eleven! He still feels guilty!"

"Why does it have to be you? What about me?" Mina Kandaswamy questioned to Mai's left. "Doesn't he feel guilty that I had been killed by his former General, Reynard Maxley?"

"Li-san feels guilty for loving an older woman!" yelled Kiko. "That old woman right there!" She pointed to Misaki who was standing next to Chiroki.

"I beg your pardon?" Misaki protested. "I'm only twenty-nine!"

"Still old!"

"If Li-kun feels guilty about anything, it's for hitting me and trying to kill me!"

"What? I wasn't trying to kill you!" Hei began to say.

"So you feel guilty for not killing her?" spoke up Suou. "Did you ever feel guilty for hitting me, even a little?"

"Suou? I…"

"It's me he feels guilty about!" spoke up Brita. "He had a chance with someone as sexy as me, and he let me get away."

"Far from it," babbled Hazuki. "BK201's guilty for kidnapping my woman and not letting her go in which she was killed!"

"Stand in line! I have my own bones to pick with him!" entered April. "BK201 let his anger and aggression get the best of him, and killed me! Do you have any regrets about that, BK201?"

"What about me, Hei?" came in Amber. "Do you regret for not joining me back at the shrine? Did you feel anything when I kissed you in Hell's Gate? Do you have any feelings for me?"

"Or me?" came Yin's voice behind him. He spun on his heels to see her wearing her purple dress. "Did you regret not killing me? Do you regret wanting to kill me?"

"Or do you regret not taking the opportunity to be with me?" said Izanami, as she walked around Yin with an evil grin on her face. She approached, leaned up against his chest, and caressed his chin with her face inches from his. "Or is it you regret that you missed your opportunity with every woman that crossed your path. If that's the case…!"

Izanami threw him to the ground, causing him to look up at her lost for words, as all the women he had encountered walked up to him. To his surprise, they were naked. They began to lie on top of Hei, scratching and clawing at him.

Hei started to scream in pain, as Izanami smiled down at him devilishly.

Xxx

Hei woke up from his nightmare, lying half naked in his and Cho's bed in the dark, noticing she wasn't beside him. However, he caught movement to his right and dodged left to avoid a syringe.

"CHO!" shouted Hei, hoping she was all right. "CHO!"

Hei moved to his left as his attacker leaped over the bed to strike the syringe in his chest. While blocking it, he noticed his opponent was female, but couldn't get a visual on her face. Hei blocked a high kick, performed a kick to the stomach, having it blocked, and followed it up with one at her face, also stopped.

She was a skilled assassin. To his luck, it would be Hazuki, but yet, she wasn't using a sword. Perhaps Madam Oreille wanted him alive for some reason.

He blocked a low and high kick, performed a left and right jab that was countered, and jumped over a sweeping kick. His attacker struck his face with her right leg, having him tumble over the bed. She leaped over it to strike with her fist, forcing Hei to roll away and stand to his feet.

The woman grabbed the lamp off the nightstand, yanking the cord from the wall, and swung it at his head to have him tilt his body backwards. After ducking a second attack, Hei grabbed the lamp on the third swing, surprising her, and took the opportune moment to sucker punch her.

Hei dropped the lamp, ducked a kick and came up behind her to wrap his arms around her neck. She struggled with him, elbowing his face, and stepping on his feet, but he held on to slowly put her to sleep. Once she was knocked out, he placed her on the ground.

"Cho! Are you all right? Cho?" yelled Hei. He walked over to the light switch and turned it on. "Cho!"

The thought of his attacker killing his love ached heavily on his heart. If anything had happened to her, Madam Oreille would pay with her life. However, that thought had changed as he looked down at his opponent to see Cho lying before him in one of his button white shirts with the syringe in her hand.

Hei glared at her lost for words.

Xxx

Cho woke up to find she had been tied up in a chair and looked forward to see Li glaring devilishly at her with a knife on the bed.

No, he wasn't Li anymore. His midnight blue eyes had turned ice cold.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She laughed, saying, "You of all people know I can't answer that, Kuro no Shinigami."

Hei slapped her, and shouted, "Tell me! Who are you really?"

Breathing in from the stinging sensation, Cho glared up at Li, irritating him. He broke her pinky finger, making her cry out in pain.

"Tell me!"

Cho stayed silent, making Hei break her ring finger and continued his actions until he didn't have any digits left. Taking one of her cigarettes, he lit it and began using her arm as an ashtray, having her wince from the pinky-size burn.

After burning over a dozen holes with no result, he held the cigarette to her right eye. She glared at it, freaking out, and yelled, "My code name is Yayumi Yoko! Madam Oreille hired me three years ago! My mission was to get close to you."

"So all those feelings for me were an act!" snarled Hei.

"At first, yes, but lately, it hasn't."

"I don't believe you! Where's Oreille?"

"I don't know."

"Don't lie!"

"I'm not! She came to me during my cigarette break and told me to make a move on you. I pleaded with her no, to let you be, but she wouldn't hear of it."

Hei smothered the cigarette in her arm, making her cringe, as he yelled, "I said stop lying to me!"

"It's the truth! I was supposed to call her when the job was done."

Sizing her up for a moment while trying to see if she was playing him, he asked, "Where's the phone?"

"My bag. It's red."

Hei snatched her purse from the nightstand to fish through it before finding the phone. After flipping it open, he hit the speed dial and placed the receiver to his ear to hear it ring.

Moments later, it was answered.

"_Hello, Kuro no Shinigami!" _said Madam Oreille.

Hei gasped, but gathered his composure, and said, "Why? How is it that you know I'm still alive? Why can't you let me be?"

"_Those answers will soon be answered."_

The phone clicked off. Hei threw it to the floor, grabbed the knife off the bed, and held it to Cho's throat. She stayed still, accepting her death, but Hei began to hesitate due to his dream.

He stepped back, surprising Cho, and asked, "How long do I have?"

"Five. Ten tops," she said.

Making note of his limited time, Hei grabbed a shirt out of a drawer and threw it on.

"If I ever see you again, I will kill you."

Hei stormed out of the house while grabbing his coat. Six minutes later, her door burst open with a few men in black swarming into her bedroom.

**Present:**

Megumi poured through the reports and evidence concerning Miguel's case. Obviously, he knew something and his employers, or whoever, wanted to keep him quiet about it. What she didn't get was that the line of the shots didn't lead to any buildings tall enough.

Shoji sat across from her also trying to put the pieces together, but he wasn't doing any better. Even Sakura had her hands full. However, Hachi put the littlest effort into trying to solve the case.

The only thing out of the ordinary was that a Contractor had been active a few blocks from the killing. Megumi and Shoji had checked it out, but the Contractor had been long gone.

Hayate exited his office and approached the Foreign Affairs team looking displeased.

"Stop all investigations on Miguel Perez!" he ordered. Megumi, Shoji, and Sakura looked up at him dumbfounded. "As of now, any cases that are considered Homicide will be given to the local police."

"The local police?" questioned Megumi "But they aren't supposed to take over for another month!"

"I'm well aware of that, Section-Chief, but I got the Prime Minister himself telling me to back off. Besides, we've got another case to deal with."

"Has a Contractor been active?" asked Shoji.

"Yes. The same one from yesterday. I'm sending Detective Suzuki to investigate it. You and Megumi deal with another immigrant for not leaving the country. A Jose Martinez."

Megumi's eyes twitched, as Shoji's rolled in frustration

"Another deportation case? Come on! This sucks! Give it to Hachi and give us the Contractor!" he shouted, pointing at his co-worker.

"Fine by me!" stated Hachi, shrugging his shoulders. "Give me your paycheck too."

Shoji glared at him, responding with, "I'd give you a fat lip first!"

"That's enough!" shouted Hayate. "Now get going!"

"Commander…?"

Hayate glared at him, as he was about to open his mouth and say something.

Megumi stood while saying, "We're on it, Commander!" She glared at Shoji. "Get your things!"

Huffing out his exhaustion, Shoji stood while grabbing his bag, and followed Megumi down into the garage.

"Are you trying to get fired?" she asked, as they walked up to her car.

"Why would you care?" questioned Shoji. They stood on opposite sides of the vehicle looking at each other. "Wouldn't you be happy if I got canned so that I no longer harass you?"

"If I wanted you fired because of that, I would have done it myself!" pointed out Megumi, and then entered her car.

Thinking on her comment for a minute, Shoji smiled and sat next to her. They pulled out of the garage to head for their destination.

One minute into their trip, he looked over at her, and asked, "You really like me, don't you?"

"Oh, bite me!"

"With pleasure," he whispered while smirking.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled up to a well-kept apartment complex, exited the vehicle, and headed up the concrete staircase along the side of the building. They walked up to room 300 with Megumi knocking on the door. There wasn't any response.

"You hear that?" she asked Shoji.

"No!"

"I do. Sounds like someone is in trouble."

"I don't…"

Megumi pulled out her gun and kicked in the door to enter and encounter Déjà vu. Sighing, she holstered her gun with Shoji coming up beside her.

"Knew it!" she muttered.

"What? Wait? You figured we were going to come across this?"

"How much you want to bet both cases are linked?" Megumi asked.

**Twenty years ago:**

Hei walked the warm and sunny streets of Florence, Italy near the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Flower Cathedral church in Piazza del Duomo. The exterior of the basilica was faced with polychrome marble panels in various shades of green and pink bordered by white.

It had a wide central nave of four-squared bays with an aisle on either side along the roof. The chancel and transepts had identical three straight side structures that were separated by two smaller structures, which formed a cross. Resting on composite piers were wide-pointed Gothic arches that separated the nave and aisles.

A dome sat in the mist with a crown on top of it.

The Battistero di San Giovanni had an octagonal shape and was across from the cathedral. The Giotto's bell tower stood adjacent to the Saint Mary Flower. Both were constructed out of the same material as the cathedral.

It felt Hei had eyes on him these past couple of days, and no matter how hard he tried to lose his pursuers, the feeling returned. He tried to lure his tail into a secluded area, but he or she was too smart to fall for it.

The thing that frustrated Hei the most was trying to track down Madame Oreille, but for someone as well organized as she was, it was impossible.

He entered at the base of the cross-shaped cathedral to find it was vast and gave an empty impression. Above the main door was a one-handed liturgical colossal clock face that had fresco portraits of four Prophets, and showed the twenty-four hours of the Italian time with sunset at 24 hours.

There were forty-four large stained glass windows, which the ones along the aisles and in the transept portrayed saints from the Old and the New Testament, while the dome windows had Christ and Mary.

Pretending to be a tourist, Hei stepped before one of the many paintings to gaze at it in hopes of finding his target. However, there had been a few people that had entered. It seemed as though his tail had blended in with them to keep his or her identity secret.

"Did you know, that in 1474, Lorenzo was attacked and almost killed in front of this very church?" said Madame Oreille behind him. "His dear brother wasn't so fortunate. They even say that the Pope agreed on the attack, as long as no one got hurt."

"So you're the one who has been following me," said Hei, keeping his eyes forward.

"Surprised it's me?"

"Pleased it's you. Now I can kill you."

"Before I tell you where you can find the Contractor who helped Jackal kill you?"

Hei's eyes twitched, and said, "What do you mean by that?"

"I'll tell you if you do a job for me. I need a woman killed."

"Why?"

"Because she stole from me and ran off. I'll even pay you one million U.S. dollars for her. That should get you by for a long while, right? Just say the word."

Hei thought on it for a moment, and then said, "Alright! But don't think after I'm done with her, I won't kill you."

"I won't have it any other way, Mr. Kuro no Shinigami. She's in San Lorenzo's district in the Piccolo hotel. Room 100."

Hei turned to leave the church with Madame Oreille watching.

**Present:**

Megumi stood before Hayate with Hachi beside her, looking displeased. The Commander had his hands laced before him with his elbows on the desk and lips pursed.

"Sir, these cases are connected and can't be put on hold!" informed Megumi, referring to the two homicide cases.

"By law put down by the Prime Minister himself, we are to put the cases aside in order to keep a steady flow on our work schedule," stated Hachi.

"I believe if we wait there might be more killings and the killer might be long gone. You know it's wrong to put these cases aside for a long period of time."

"You're being ignorant, Megumi!" challenged Hachi, as he glared at her.

"No she's not, Detective Suzuki," spoke up Hayate. "And that's Section Chief Itashi! This is no coincidence. Those people were killed for a reason, and they were killed after their green cards expired. They were into something, and it might be worth searching."

"Commander, do I need to remind you of the new law placed by…"

"I'm quite aware of it since I read through the report, but I'm also the head of this department, and I say we continue to investigate it. Shoji can help you out with other cases while Section Chief Itashi investigates further on the two cases. If the Higher ups or the Prime Minister doesn't like it, they can take it out on me! Now get back to work!"

Hachi frowned while Megumi bowed. They exited the office and took their seats. Glancing at them, Shoji could feel the tension they were giving each other, and smiled since he knew that Megumi had won the battle.

Megumi pulled up the files she had been working on earlier and began looking for clues with the new evidence she had gathered.

However, she was no closer to finding the killer. She decided to pull up files on Mexicans that were in town to see the latest deportation, and noticed a man named Santos Santana's green card was expiring this weekend.

Megumi stood and descended into the garage and hopped into her car to head out. Finally, she was going to have a quiet ride to her destination. She liked Shoji a lot, but he was too noisy and was a sexist pig. If he were a little more charming and not so stubborn, like Hizumi, then she would consider going out with him.

Like Hizumi?

Who was he and was that his real name? If she were to bet on it, she would say no. He was a mystery like BK201. More to the point, how was it that he had BK201's power? Did some of it travel over to him through DNA, or did BK201 pass it over with a handshake?

Megumi sighed and put the thought to the back of her mind. No doubt she was going to lose sleep on that one tonight.

Why exactly did she decide to become a cop again? She kept on telling herself she was forced by her mother and grandfather, but she could have gone into another profession that they would have been proud of her. It was to prove that she could handle it and swore not to out do her mother.

However, at times, she felt she was. No doubt she was going to deal with two mind-bugling questions tonight.

She arrived at her destination, exited the car, and ascended to the forth floor. The young Section-Chief stepped in front of room 425, pleased to see it closed, and knocked on the door. Within seconds, a short Mexican in his forties answered the door. The man resembled Cheech from the comedy duo.

"Si?" the man asked.

"Hello, sir. My name is Section-Chief Megumi Itashi," she said in Spanish. "Do you speak Japanese?"

"Yes, ma'am. Are you with the Foreign Affairs? My papers don't expire until this Saturday."

"I'm not here for that, but I do believe your life might be in danger. Did you know Jose Martinez or Miguel Perez?"

Santo's eyes twitched and began to close the door, as he said, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you."

With quick reflex, Megumi put her foot in the door to stop it from closing, and said, "You know them and what happened, don't you? If you help me I can protect you and get this guy."

"No you can't. It's just not one man either. If they want me dead, then I'm dead."

Megumi looked at him peculiarly, but snapped out of her daze, and said, "Who are they and what are they up to?"

"If you value your life, then st…"

A gunshot sounded in the distance, and then Santo's blood spattered onto Megumi, as he fell to his left with a hole in the side of his forehead. Megumi turned around while pulling out her gun and looked up at the buildings behind her. However, she saw nothing.

She looked down at the body, amazed at the shot since the bullet had to have had swerved around her, having her bet a Contractor had just been active.

Xxx

Hayate stepped off the JR line in Sugamu, headed up the stairs to walk through the gates, and entered the crowded station. Signs pointed in different directions with Hayate following the exit sign to depart the JR Sugamo Station. The building was five stories high, grayish in color with red cursive-like writing at the top left corner and rectangular-length windows on each floor.

He pulled out a pack of smokes, removed a cigarette to place in his mouth, and lit it. Lights glimmered everywhere while he walked down the sidewalk towards his home.

As he turned into an alley, he saw a familiar face standing before him holding a revolver.

"So that's how it's going to be," said Hayate.

The gun fired three times, causing Hayate to stumble and fall backwards. He gazed up at the stars, trying to breathe while his blood pooled around him. The gunman came up to gaze down at him.

"You should have followed the rules!" stated Hachi.

Hayate laughed.

"Are… are… are you… going to kill her… too…?"

"Not yet!"

The last thing Hayate saw was a flash from the gun, and felt a sharp pain to his forehead for a split second. After that, there was nothing.

**Past:**

Hei entered the apartment late at night and quietly headed up to the first floor. In minutes, he was kneeling in front of room 100, and picked it open. He entered the darkened room to see a woman fast asleep in one of the two beds.

The room was somewhat spacious but still small, had wooden flooring, white walls, and a small window in the left hand corner with white drapes.

Pulling out his knife, Hei crept up to the bed, and looked at the person sleeping on her stomach with the covers over her. He raised his knife to her throat, and slashed it.

She woke up from a start, grasping at her throat from the spraying of the wound while trying to breathe. Hei's eyes widened as he noticed the person who he had assassinated was his last love.

Cho looked at her attacker shocked, and then over at the bed next to her while reaching out for the person in it. As she did, she fell to the floor dead with her blood pouring onto it.

The person in the bed next to her woke up frightened. He looked down at her, his midnight blue eyes widened in shock, and jumped out of bed to shake her.

"Mama! Mama!" he cried.

Hei looked on dumbfounded at the boy, noticing he resembled his younger self at one time: especially the eyes.

It couldn't be?

"He is your son, Mr. Kuro no Shinigami," said Madame Oreille from behind him. He turned around to see her standing next to her two Dolls and a bodyguard. "Take the boy."

The bodyguard began to walk towards the boy, making Hei feel protective, and jumped in front of him, holding his bloody knife at the ready. The bodyguard frowned and then highlighted in blue. The next thing Hei felt was as though gravity had been multiplied by ten, and found his body being pressed to the floor. It seemed as though gravity Contractors were his Achilles heel.

"I figured you'd do that," said Madame Oreille. "You act so tough, but yet you're kind hearted to the people you hold dear to. It's kind of surprising you would for a kid you don't even know."

"Let him go!" demanded Hei.

"Where would he go? You killed his mother."

"You let me kill her!"

"Your own ambitions killed her. Besides, she got what she deserved. She let her feelings get the best of her and ran off to protect the boy."

Hei grinded his teeth at Madame Oreille since it seemed she was the Queen of all the deceivers. She played him like a marionette.

Madame Oreille's Dolls walked up to the boy and stuck a syringe in the side of his neck to knock him out. They picked him up from under his arms and legs and carried him out of the room.

"I'll give you a proposition, Mr. Kuro no Shinigami," continued Madame Oreille. "I would like you to work for me and train the boy in your way as the new Kuro no Shinigami. If you refuse," Hei felt the gravity get heavier, "your life comes to an end."

Hei thought on the matter. In the past he would have told Madame Oreille to go stuff it, but he felt a guilty conscience flood over him for killing Cho: for taking away the boy's mother.

"All right, I'll do it!" shouted Hei.

Madame Oreille walked up to Hei and stabbed him in the neck with something. Hei looked up at her dumbfounded.

"I don't want you knowing where we're going, Mr. Kuro no Shinigami."


	21. Chapter 21

Generation New

A Past Letter Warning of a Future Disaster part one:

Megumi stood over Hayate's body next to a coroner who was giving a time of death in the early morning. The sun hadn't found its way over the horizon yet. Hachi and Shoji were a few feet away from the body.

She had a gut feeling that things were going to get interesting now that her former boss was lying on an autopsy bed. What were the higher-ups going to do to replace Hayate?

Megumi nodded at the coroner and stepped before Hachi and Shoji.

"The coroner believes he was killed around midnight," she said. "You two find out anything?"

"Nobody said they saw anything or heard anything," said Hachi.

Megumi's jaw line tightened while nodding.

"Okay! Go home and get some rest. We have a big day ahead of us."

"I don't think so, Section-Chief," spoke up someone behind them. They turned around to see a Japanese man with long black hair and dark eyes. He wore a well-pressed black business suit with vertical white stripes, pink shirt underneath it, and black dress shoes. He had his hands in his pant's pockets and had a hunch in his back. "Get back to HQ and write out your reports."

"Who are you?" questioned Megumi.

"Your new boss!" He pulled out a badge. "Commander Himura Kamui."

Megumi snorted. It wasn't surprising that the CIA was replacing Hayate so quickly, but she didn't think they would do it after a few hours of his passing. Something didn't fit right with her.

She ignored it, and yelled, "It's two in the morning!"

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes! I'm tired and I want some shuteye since I haven't gotten any yet!"

"Unfortunately, there's no time for rest! Minister Chaplin is pushing for the Tokyo Police in two days."

"Two days? But I thought it wasn't going to be up and running for another month?"

"Due to the news of Commander Hayate's death, Minister Chaplin thought it best to lighten the load. If you don't like it, then find another job!"

"Don't mi…!" began Megumi, but before she could finish her sentence, Shoji kicked her in the shin.

"We're on it, Boss!" he stated, as Megumi hopped on one leg while holding the other.

Himura narrowed his eyes at them before departing. Once he was out of sight, Shoji let out a breath of air he didn't realize he was holding, and then found Megumi kicking him between the legs.

"STRIKE-ONE!"

He grabbed his crotch, kneeled onto his knees while a cringing pain raced up into the pit of his stomach, and glared up at a disgruntled Megumi.

"What… what was that… for…?" he whimpered like a little girl.

"For kicking me in the shin!"

Due to his blood residing in his forehead, Shoji fell sideways and prayed the pain would wither away. He couldn't recall the last time a girl had kicked him there, believing it might have been his freshmen year in college, and reminded himself to not kick, hit, or do any other bodily harm to Megumi again.

Hachi frowned and headed out of the morgue. Megumi fixated him an eye, noticing his uneasiness, and left Shoji lying on the ground alone.

Xxx

Himura walked up to a car, the size of a Smart car, that had blood red paint and two gray stripes down the hood. He opened the door to settle in the seat, closed it while pulling out his phone, and voice texted, "She's going to be a problem."

He stared at his phone for a few seconds before he received a message.

"_Does she suspect Detective Suzuki Hachi killed him?" _it said, sounding electrical and girly-ish.

"No."

"_Good! We'll deal with her once Chaplin's plan goes into affect. We already have a scheme in the works."_

"What is it, if I may ask?"

"_You need not worry about it. Do not contact us about anything else dealing with Detective Itashi or Hayate. We will contact you, and not by phone."_

Himura closed his phone with a frown on his face, started up his car, and drove home to get some sleep. That woman, Itashi Megumi, was someone he really didn't want to meddle with for too long.

Xxx

At six in the morning, Megumi sat at her desk with her forehead on top of her desk, using her hands as a pillow with drool pouring from her mouth. On her hologram showed pictures concerning her former boss's case.

Sitting across from her was Shoji; his eyes beat red from staying up all night. He wondered if it was smart to try and wake her. With his luck, she would kick him so hard his family jewels would fly right out of his mouth.

He decided it best to let her sleep and get chewed out by Himura later.

Hachi worked frantically typing out his report at his desk. All of a sudden it seemed the former Yokohama Detective was a brownnoser. If Hayate had given the order, Shoji believed Hachi would have been playing games on his computer.

An hour later, Sakura entered the Foreign Affairs, surprised to see her colleagues present before her. The shy and quiet woman was usually the first in and the last to leave.

"Bad news," said Shoji. "Commander Hayate was killed around twelve last night."

"Wha… WHAT? That's not funny, Shoji!"

"It's not a joke. Megumi, Hachi and me were called around two. We've been here since three-thirty."

"Why wasn't I called last night?"

Shoji threw up his hands since he didn't have an answer for her.

"We had expected Himura to show up after we arrived, but he was a no show. He probably went home to get some shuteye."

"Himura?" she questioned.

"Oh, right, you haven't met him yet. He's our new Commander."

"EHHHH? That quickly!" Sakura looked over at Megumi. "How long has she been out?"

"Since four."

"She's been asleep for three and a half hours?" Sakura walked up to shake her, making Shoji cringe, and pushed away from the desk. "Megumi-san! Wake up! Commander Himura will be in soon! Get up!"

Before Sakura knew it, Megumi sat up; her eyes still closed, grabbed her neck, and yanked Sakura to have her lips meet Megumi's. Sakura's eyes widened in shock, as Shoji's right eyelid rose.

Hachi stopped typing to get a quick peek at the yuri action before him.

Megumi's eyes opened to take in the sight, and then they bulged as huge as softballs before pushing away.

"What… what are you doing in my bedroom!" shouted Megumi. "Where's that hot guy I had picked up in the bar!"

"You were dreaming!" shouted Sakura. "You're at the Foreign Affairs!"

Megumi blinked at Sakura stupidly, and then glanced over at Shoji who was still looking stupefied

"That… was… HHOOOTT!" he quivered, as though having an orgasm. "Do it again."

The next thing Shoji noticed was Megumi's fist breaking his nose and flinging him over his seat to flop on the ground.

"STRIKE TWO!"

Shoji stood while holding his nose and departed the office to get it taken care of at their clinic a few floors up.

Two hours later, he returned with his nose bandaged. The doctor had asked what had happened, and he had stated, "I lost my balance in my chair and fell on my face."

To make sure he didn't receive strike three, he sat as far away from Megumi as he could. To his luck, she was going to count that as his final one.

A half an hour later, Commander Himura arrived. He glared at Megumi to see if she was hard at work, and then noticed Shoji's disfigured face.

"Detective Kiski Shoji! What happened to you?" he asked.

"Fell out of my seat from exhaustion, sir," said Shoji.

Himura nodded his head, but Megumi could tell he didn't believe a word.

"You must be Detective Izumi Sakura," said Himura.

"Yes, sir," nodded Sakura. "Pleased to meet you, sir."

"I hope you will show great potential from what I've read about you." He focused his eyes on Megumi. "Got it?"

"Yes, sir!"

Megumi returned his stare in displeasure, knowing he was after her for some reason, but she wished she knew what.

"GOT IT!" shouted Himura.

Megumi's right eye twitched, and said, "Got it, Commander."

"Good! If you'll excuse me."

Himura walked off to enter his office and closed the door behind him with Megumi glaring at it for a few minutes. There was pressure being put on her and thought she should quit to head back to Yokohama.

She refused it since she didn't want to show any weakness before Himura or her colleagues.

They were the last of her problems. Due to lack of sleep, Megumi had a hard time keeping her eyes open. During her lunch break, she had gone out and bought three different types of energy drinks, and none of them were helping.

As the day was drawing to an end, Himura left without doing a thing. Megumi and her colleagues had another hour before they could turn in for the night.

All Megumi could think of was snuggling up to her pillow, as though she was going to have sex with it.

A short skinny man came up to stand before her table. She averted her attention up at him to see he was holding a small rectangular white thing with scribbles on it.

"Yes?" she questioned.

"Eh, some blonde-haired lady dropped off this thing at the front counter," said the skinny man. "The woman said it was _addressed_ to you."

"Addressed?" The word addressed had long been extinct from vocabularies around the world since people relied on e-mails for mailing services. If something was shipped, it was referred to as the inscription on the package. "What is it?"

"Dunno. Nobody at the front counter knows what it is."

Megumi took the white thing to look at the scribble written in the midst of the paper-like thing. Sakura and Shoji gathered around her to look at it as well while Hachi ignored them.

"Cursive writing!" babbled Megumi.

"Cursive… writing?" questioned Sakura, Shoji, and the skinning man.

"What's that?" the skinny man asked.

"It's a form of writing that died out when we were kids. It's what people in the old days use to do before computers and the Internet took over completely. They'd take something like a style with ink or lead at the end and write on a piece of paper while connecting letters together."

"Sounds like hard work!" said Sakura.

"Without question, it's addressed to me!"

"How can you be so sure?" Shoji asked.

"Because, thanks to my dad, he taught me how to write my name in cursive, and that's right at the top. Below it is the Foreign Affairs and it's address. No doubt this is a letter."

"A… _letter_?" questioned the three.

"It's like an e-mail, but there were people who delivered mail!"

"You mean Shippers!" said the skinny man.

"That's what we refer to them nowadays," Megumi said, while gazing up at him. "Back then they were called mailmen or mailwomen."

"That doesn't make sense! There's so many people in the world, it's impossible," said Sakura.

"Apparently it wasn't," Megumi shrugged.

"Ha! Some letter! All it has on it is your name!" boosted Shoji.

Megumi flipped it over to show a V-like seam on the back. She pulled out her pocketknife, flicked it open, and stuck it in the letter to cut along the top. The three observers watched in amazement, as Megumi pulled out another piece of paper and unfolded it to show more cursive writing.

Looking on shocked to see paper inside paper, Shoji was glad that he didn't live in that time of age.

"What does it say?" Sakura asked, curiously, as Megumi scanned the letter from top to bottom.

Hachi looked up from his work, catching Megumi's eyes, and giving her a bad vibe.

"I don't know! It's been a while," said Megumi. "The only thing I recognize is, 'Dear Megumi', and a few numbers."

"Does it say who wrote it?" Sakura asked.

Still unsure about Hachi, she said, "No."

Xxx

While leaving work, Megumi pretended to go home, but instead headed towards an address that had been written in the letter. She didn't want to tell the two she was actually able to read the letter due to the feeling she had gotten from Hachi.

It had read:

_Dear Itashi Megumi,_

_Please keep this to yourself, but I wish to speak with you alone at where Li Shengshun had lived. There's a small park nearby with an elephant slide and a round bench that surrounds a tree. Please meet me there at ten o'clock p.m._

_Sincerely,_

_Amber_

Megumi's car pulled up to the apartment complex that was owned by the stoned brothers, exited it, and headed for the park. Minutes later, she located it to see it was deserted. She looked up at a clock that was built into a small hut to see it read ten on the dot.

Sighing, she sat on the bench and waited for fifteen minutes with no show from Amber.

Some time traveler! She couldn't even make it on time! To the point, why did she even come here without back up, and why did Amber trust her. Maybe she was a past Amber that hadn't encountered getting arrested. The future Amber must have been disappointed with her.

Megumi smacked her head for thinking of something that seemed ignorant and confusing.

Having waited another fifteen minutes, Megumi stood to depart the park.

"Leaving so soon?" questioned a voice near the slide.

Megumi turned to face it and saw a ten year-old Amber sitting on the edge of the slide, dressed in a blue baseball cap, white sweater, and tight white pants with white boots.

Megumi pulled out her gun from behind her and aimed it at Amber.

"That will do no good," said Amber.

"Try me," challenged Megumi, having Amber smile and confuse Megumi. "What do you want?"

"To warn you, and to tell you it's a lost hope. It will do you no good to keep pursuing him."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"You need to leave the Foreign Affairs. If you stay, only disaster will happen. Ones you hold dearly are going to die."

Megumi glared at her lost for words.

"You're wrong! My curse has ended!"

"Has it? The contract was renewed!"

Megumi's eyes blinked, taking in Amber's words, and wondered if she was going to have another thirteen years of luck. The thought was heart wrenching.

Hoping Amber was messing with her head, she said, "What do you mean, 'It will do no good pursuing him?'"

Amber's heart seemed to sink, as she said, "Hei's kid. You have to let him go, or you will follow your mother's path. If you follow her path, history will repeat itself. You will not have a wonderful life, and neither will your son." Megumi gasped. "You won't even see him grow up into a handsome man."

Lowering her gun, Megumi felt her heart beating heavily, and gazed down at the ground. Amber was deceiving her, wasn't she? What rational thing would she gain out of all this?

"Is… is…?" babbled Megumi, trying to find the right words to say.

"No, Hizumi isn't the father," replied Amber.

Megumi looked back at her, and asked, "Who's the father?"

"That one, I will leave for you to find out."

Amber stood to leave the park. As she walked by, Megumi spun, and said, "You had said there was a universe where I don't exist. Is it because Hei and my mom got together?"

Amber stopped, turned around, and said, "No. There is no timeline where Hei ends up with anybody. He always chose to be alone so he wouldn't have to deal with losing anyone or getting betrayed. You weren't born because your mom kept on chasing after him. She got killed because of it.

"The reason why you exist in this timeline is because BK201 had gotten killed before that ever happened. With him dead, she had no one to chase after."

Megumi averted her attention downwards. It was so ironic that something so small could change the outcome in the world. She wondered how many alternate worlds Amber had seen, and looked towards her to ask, but she was gone. She looked around in the park, but she was the only one left.

After putting away her gun, Megumi departed the park and headed back to her car. As she drew near it, she could hear extra footsteps behind her. She spun around while whipping out her gun again, and pointed it at a man in a Kimono holding a Japanese sword.

Her body froze; not believing whom she was staring at since she thought Hizumi had killed him back at the banquette. What was more startling, he looked younger.

"Surprised to see me?" Jackal asked.

"How… how are you… alive…?"

"Kuro no Shinigami should make sure to put enough electricity into someone to make sure he or she is dead."

"He… he held… back…?"

"Surprising, isn't it? I know I was! Now I get another chance to kill him, again! And this time, the playing level is even since I've regained my youth."

Megumi looked at him puzzled. Didn't he know it had been Hei's kid who had held back his power?

"How'd you find me?" she asked. "Amber's star?"

"Who's Amber?" he asked, making Megumi look at him peculiarly. She guessed he was hired for his strength and not his smarts. "I found you by your car's GPS system."

"What do you want with me?"

"Where's BK201?"

"BK201? How would I know?"

"Isn't that why you're here? To meet with him?"

"If I came here because he was here, I would arrest him, and I assure you, I'm not here to arrest him."

"Then why are you here?"

A dense look formed on Megumi's face. Hadn't he been following her since the park? Didn't he notice Amber there and overhear their conversation? If he did, then he would have known it had been Hizumi who had electrocuted him. It seemed he was as clueless as a man in a bra store.

"To meet an old friend," she said.

"Who?"

"None of your business."

"I'm sorry, but I'm making it my business."

Jackal settled into a fighting stance with his sword held outwards. Megumi felt uneasy after his last words.

"You work for Minister Richard Chaplin, right?" she asked, having him nod. "You think he'd be happy if you attack one of his former cabinet member's daughter?"

A smile crept on his face, making her feel uneasy. It felt like she was driving an eighteen-wheeler on thin ice.

Before she knew it, Jackal charged at her, making Megumi fire, but the shot went wide to the left. Jackal raised his sword over his head and brought it downwards, having Megumi close her eyes, as she embraced the impact that was about to come.

Instead, she heard a loud clank sound, and looked to see the back of a black coat and flat black hair. Megumi's eyes widened, as she noticed Hizumi, wearing his mask, had stopped Jackal's sword with his split double-edged blade.

Jackal glared at Hizumi flabbergasted, and then grinded his teeth in frustration, as he pushed harder against him.


	22. Chapter 22

Generation New

A Past Letter Warning of a Future Disaster part two

Megumi stood dumbfounded at the two combatants glaring at each other with their weapons locked together. It felt like she was back at the banquette for round two.

Jackal kicked as Hizumi dodged it, disconnecting their blades, and blocked a few more strikes. Hizumi stopped a downwards attack with his blade backhanded, and then kicked Jackal in the stomach, stumbling him backwards.

Charging, Jackal hung his sword outwards, and swung horizontally. His prey blocked it, causing Jackal to strike from the opposite side to have it countered and then socked across the face. However, Jackal used the momentum to perform a roundhouse kick while Hizumi executed a sweeping kick, missing each other.

Hizumi continued his rotation, connecting with Jackal's ribcage, and having Jackal grab and elbow it. Hizumi leap kicked, compelling Jackal to relinquish hold and duck. Hizumi landed on his back, rolled to his right before being struck by Jackal's sword, and leaped to his feet to drive his knife towards Jackal's gut, urging him to side step it.

Jackal kicked Hizumi's stomach and used the distraction to gather space. Hizumi glared at him, fluttering his electricity through his blade.

"How'd you know I was going to be here?" growled Jackal.

"I didn't," replied Hizumi.

Jackal's right eyelid twitched in confusion, but then he smiled, and said, "Oh, I get it! You're stalking her. Kirihara Misaki too old for you?"

"She's not my type! Now, let's end this!"

"I think not! I think we should leave this at a draw for today."

A naked man appeared out of nowhere while highlighting in blue, took a hold of Jackal's shoulder, and then they disappeared with Jackal's clothes and sword dropping to the ground. Hizumi snorted, while fluttering a few more charges of electricity through his blade, and turned around to meet the barrel of a nine-millimeter.

"Going to shoot me after I saved you?" he asked, calmly.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You already know that, Megumi."

"SECTION-CHIEF ITASHI! What's you're real name!"

"I can't give you that."

"Because you're bound by… whomever it is that employed you to keep you quiet!"

"I can't give you my real name, because, I don't know." Megumi's eyes narrowed peculiarly. "The only person who knew it was my mother, and she was killed by the only man I loath."

"Impossible? You mean… BK201…?"

"That is correct, Section-Chief Itashi."

With a quick flick, Hizumi threw something at her feet, and then a cloud of smoke surrounded her. She coughed from it for a few seconds, and once it was cleared, she noticed the man who was tormenting her heart was gone.

He was a mysterious man. Her thoughts fell back on what Amber had said, and wondered if she could let him go.

Xxx

Hizumi returned to his and his old man's hideout to see his father, wearing his old man mask, was sitting in front of the table eating again with reruns of Attack on Titans playing. He frowned due to his bottomless pit.

"Where have you been?" Hei asked. "You haven't been following that Kirihara child, have you?"

"Megumi! And yes I have!" shouted Hizumi, as he removed his mask.

"I told you to stay away."

"And it's a good thing I didn't! I saw your old girlfriend, Amber, talking to her at your old park. And I also found out that Jackal is still alive! He nearly killed Megumi!"

Putting his chopsticks down, Hei glared up at Hizumi displeased, and said, "I told you to stop wasting the battery in your coat by clicking your blade. The whole purpose of that coat is to make people think you are me. Because of your stupid habit, you didn't have enough charge to electrocute and kill Jackal. It had just enough charge to make you highlight blue. You best not make the same mistake next time."

"Here's an idea. Why don't you kill him? He killed you, so don't you want revenge?"

Hizumi removed his coat and entered his room to hide his stuff. Hei sighed, stood from his desk, and grabbed his coat to head out for a late night stroll. The peaceful walk lasted a few blocks before bumping into the first woman who tried to tame his inner demons.

"Don't you have things to do in the past?" he asked Amber.

"I came by to warn you as well, Hei," said Amber. "Let him go. It's not too late."

"It's not my choice. It's Oreille's. She's not a woman you want to cross continuously."

"Is that your excuse, Hei?"

"It's no excuse. If you recall, she used me to get him back."

"We all have a choice, Hei. It's what makes us human."

Hei glared at her for using such a trivial statement, but before he could say anything, she highlighted in blue and disappeared.

Xxx

Wearing a black leather jacket, Detective Suzuki Hachi entered the lobby of the newly renovated Tokyo Police department in Hibiya. The front portion, including the sliding door, was assembled with stained glass, which brightened a majority of the room from the sun. The inside was semi-spacious, the walls and floor doused in marbles and a chandelier glittering above. An arch security desk, built out of oak, lay to the right near two elevators. The doors were made out of the same material as the desk.

Hachi walked past the security desk, ignoring the guard eyeing him, and entered one of the elevators to head for the sixth floor. Once there, he exited into an unoccupied department cluttered with desks. The floor was also put together out of marble with black veins and white walls. The office felt claustrophobic deprived of windows.

He walked around a desk and turned left towards an office that had its shades lowered. Once there, he knocked on the door to have it open with Commander Himura and a Caucasian man, in a brown business suit, waiting for him.

The young detective entered the cramped office with Himura closing the door behind him. Hachi glared at the Caucasian man, who was standing in front of a wooden desk that had a window behind it, showing Tokyo Tower in the distance.

The Caucasian man was as tall as the room, had gray hair, dark eyes, and a sharp face. He was presented in a blue suit, adorned with a white shirt and a gray entwined stripe tie, and gray shoes.

"You have it?" he asked. Hachi glared at Himura, who nodded it was all right. He reached into his inside pocket, pulled out a plastic bag with a revolver in it, and handed it over to the Caucasian man. "And this is her spare gun?"

"Yes," replied Hachi. "Don't worry, I used gloves."

"Good work!"

"And what about your promise, Michaels Allen-san."

"I didn't promise you anything. It was Minister Chaplin who made the promise. And don't worry, he's keeping his promise." Allen Michaels pulled out a badge and slid it over to Hachi. "You start running the newly reinstated Tokyo Police Force tomorrow, Lieutenant Suzuki."

"Why not give me the lead spot on the Foreign Affairs and give some other person the Lieutenant spot here?"

Smiling, Allen said, "Because, Minister Chaplin plans to disband them. He doesn't want anything connected to the CIA left around in his city."

"And what about New Pandora? He can't just wipe them out."

"You let him worry about that."

Hachi picked up the badge to look over it and then clipped it to his belt.

"Hopefully the place will be a little busier tomorrow," he said, stating the missing detectives in the department.

He turned on his heels and exited the room. Himura looked over at Allen with a stern face before he departed.

Allen huffed his uneasiness and rounded his desk to catch up on things.

Xxx

Megumi sat at her desk the next day, fully refreshed from the good night sleep she had obtained. Shoji and Sakura joined her minutes later, but there was no show from Hachi. Hopefully he wouldn't be in at all.

She began scrolling through her computer, seeing a notice that stated the Local Tokyo Police Department was up and running. Like she would miss that since it was on the news this morning.

The only thing she was concerned about the department was that some rookie cop was going to encounter a Contractor and take him or her on one on one and lose. She prayed she didn't come across such a thing.

Hours went by with no show from Hachi. However, around one in the afternoon, he appeared with two Tokyo police officers in his wake. Megumi beamed at him, as he approached her.

"Section-Chief Itashi Megumi, you're under arrest for the murder of Commander Hayate," he said, stepping before her.

"What…? What are you talking about, Hachi?" she asked.

"It's Lieutenant Suzuki, Section-Chief Itashi! I was hired to lead the local police department."

Megumi's eyes twitched, not surprised at his action since he was always a control freak.

"On what evidence?" she asked, taking him seriously now.

"Our evidence is your gun that was found a few hours ago."

He held up her spare gun that was in a plastic bag. Megumi's eyes widened, grabbed her keys to unlock the top drawer, and found her spare was missing.

"That's impossible!" she babbled.

"Take her!" ordered Hachi.

The two officers came up to Megumi, causing Shoji to jump in front of her.

"Shoji, stop!" ordered Megumi. He looked at her puzzled. "I don't need you getting arrested. As of now, you're the Section-Chief."

"Me… Megumi?" he questioned.

Megumi rose from her chair and turned her back to the officers so they could handcuff her. They led her onto the elevator with everybody watching, descended into the lobby and exited onto the street where a white and black police car waited. The officers placed her in the back before settling in the front to drive off. Hachi entered a different car and head off in the opposite direction, making Megumi wonder where he was going.

That was the least of her problem since she needed to find a really good lawyer.

Megumi laid her head on the window and thought who would frame her for Commander Hayate's murder. No doubt it was somebody that wanted her out of the way, but why?

It could have been a criminal she had arrested, but they were either too stupid to pull off such a crime or dead. There was the possibility of a non-contract agency that wanted her dead, but there were so many it would be nearly impossible to narrow it down. Also, what was the motive? Even if it was one of them; all they had to do was send in a Contractor to do the job. Her mind fell on the probability that Hachi had done it, but his aim would be at the Foreign Affairs, not the local police.

She sighed, knowing things were going horribly south for her.

As if it could not get any worse, unexpectedly the police car was t-boned by an invisible object. Megumi was thrown to the left side, as the windows shattered and scattered everywhere. The car was pushed into the opposite lane, forcing the TCS to halt oncoming traffic, until it came to a rest. She cringed from the pain and looked at the cops to see them whimpering from the crash.

Somebody approached the police car, held up his right hand and shot out a wave of air, shattering the cops' bones, nerves and organs instantly. Their blood spattered out from their nose, eyes, mouth, and wherever bones pierced their skin.

Megumi cringed, as the person, who was wearing a ski mask and dark clothes, rounded to the back and opened the creaking door. Megumi kicked at him, but did no good, as he grabbed her leg and yanked her out.

He lifted her to her feet, guided her over to a gray Toyota, as she fought with him and threw her into the trunk. She started kicking along the side as they took off, trying to knock out the backlight, but had no luck since companies had found ways to harden plastics. There were cars with built in trunk release, but it had been removed.

She cursed, knowing she was heading to her death.

Her kidnapper began yodeling, informing Megumi that that was his obeisance. To her it sounded like someone was stringing up a cat.

A half an hour later, they came to a stop. The trunk popped open to show the ski-masked man. However, he wasn't wearing his mask. He was handsome but had a scar across his nose and a stubby haircut. He grabbed to yank her out, having her struggle, but it was more like man wrestling with a bull.

She continued to fight, which resulted in three punches to the gut and a blow across her face, causing blood to drip from her lip while becoming limp.

The place that happened to be her final resting place was on the outskirt of the city along the damp sandy shoreline. Once they reached it, the Contractor threw Megumi to her knees and held his right hand before her forehead.

"Any last words?" he asked.

The soon to be deceased detective didn't want to give him the satisfaction of a conversation, but with the truth itching at her curiosity, she asked, "Who is it that wants me dead?"

"Minister Chaplin."

"Ch.—Chaplin?" Megumi gasped. "You're lying! My father was one of his cabinet members. He wouldn't."

"If your father was still alive, yes. But since he's dead, you're fair game."

"Why? What harm can I do to him?"

"He feared that Madam O. would recruit you. That was one, and the other is to disband the Foreign Affairs. With the charges of you killing your Commander, he can establish that your department is corrupt."

"Why kill me then? It's an open and shut case."

"Minister Chaplin doesn't want your case going to trial. He was worried that you would figure things out."

"So he somehow paid off Hachi to steal my gun and kill Commander Hayate."

"You are smart."

He began to highlight in blue, compelling Megumi to glare into the Contractor's eyes, as they burned red. At least she was going to see her baby brother again.

Just as he was about to use his power, his arm was cut off, surprising Megumi. The Contractor screamed in pain, but it was silenced instantly as he was beheaded. It dropped to the ground and rolled into the ocean, as his body fell to its knees before collapsing.

In the sky, a star fell.

Megumi looked behind the body to see a woman with long black hair dressed in a business suit wearing a mask, and wielding a glowing-like sword. Beside her was Kirihara Misaki.

"Mo… Mom…?" questioned Megumi.

She began to stand, but ended up falling forward from dizziness.

"Hazuki, help me put Megumi in my car," said Misaki.

Withdrawing her glow-like sword, Hazuki came up to Megumi's right, as Misaki took her left, and carried her over to the blue Porsche. They laid her in the back, settled in the front, and headed off.

Megumi peeked out the window to stare at the world she had almost left, wondering if her cursed-luck was still intact.

As a child, life seemed like an eternity, but once an adult, you see how short it really is. She was in her twenties and had already escaped death since the day she was born. Perhaps a different occupation would be better for her health.

Before she knew it, her mother entered an abandon building and descended into a lower portion of it. Her mother turned on her bright lights, revealing a dark tunnel and headed down it.

Megumi gasped as she realized they were crossing under the checkpoint to gain access into Tokyo. How long had this been here? She would have to ask her mother when she got a chance. Right now her brain felt like someone had stuck it in a blender and scrambled it.

What was more of a pain, the tunnel was bumpy and adding to her headache while enticing her other injuries. They had only been inside it for a minute, but it felt like ten. One bump made Megumi slam her head on the roof, forcing her to lie down, but that didn't help as her body was nearly thrown off the seat.

As she was about to jump out of the car and walk, they emerged on the eastern side of Shibuya. If Megumi could prove her innocence, she was coming back to secure the tunnel.

They merged into traffic, blending in. How was it that TCS wasn't spotting the Porsche since the sensors on cars track each other to determine safe distance? Perhaps they threw on a few for Misaki.

Megumi needed to stop thinking or her brain was going to explode. She leaned against the side while breathing out a sigh.

A few minutes later, Misaki pulled the Porsche into a garage a few blocks from where Megumi had lost her mom in a car chase a while back. The car pulled up next to a hover car before Misaki turned off the engine. Misaki and her partner exited the car and then helped Megumi out.

"Can you take these cuffs off, Mom?" she questioned.

"Sorry, Section-Chief Itashi," began Misaki, "but I'm not your mother right now. It's Ichinose Yayoi. And I'm not taking the cuffs off since it's for Hazuki, mine, and everybody who works here's benefit."

"It's not Section-Chief! It's just Itashi Megumi!"

Misaki nodded and guided Megumi to an elevator with Hazuki in tow. They entered it to descend, surprising Megumi. A minute later, the doors opened to reveal a long and narrow beige hallway. The three women exited the elevator, headed down the hall, and stepped through a door. A man the size as Saitou, wearing glasses and a black suit, stood before a few desks, waiting for them.

Hazuki pushed by Misaki and Megumi, startling Megumi, and causing the big man to look on startled. The next thing he realized, she kissed him. Were they a couple?

Hazuki quickly pulled away from the big man to have him wipe his mouth. Misaki threw Hazuki a water bottle, guzzled it, and spit out the water. Before Megumi knew it, Hazuki had her lips on hers. If her hands weren't cuffed, she would have punched her.

Misaki frowned at Hazuki.

After what seemed like forever, Hazuki peeled her lips from Megumi.

"What was that for?" Megumi demanded.

"Her obeisance is to kiss guys, but she doesn't like the taste of them," said Misaki.

"You're… a… Contractor?" Megumi's eyes slanted.

Hazuki eyed Megumi for a second, and then looked over at Misaki to say, "She's a better kisser, Yayoi."

"I wouldn't doubt it. She's had more practice since she was twelve," said Misaki. Blushing as her eyes widened, Megumi gazed back at Misaki dumbfounded. "I know all about you kissing our neighbor in our complex. He told his mom, who told and yelled at me about it for days."

"Why didn't you say anything about it to me?" Megumi asked.

"Because I knew you were trying to be what you wanted to be, and no matter what I said, it wouldn't have helped. I'm just grateful you didn't get knocked up."

Megumi's jaw line tightened and wondered if her mom thought she lost her virginity at that age two. She may have had been a little reckless as a teenager, but the last thing she wanted was a kid when she was still a kid.

"Are you two done with your reunion?" asked the big man.

"Yes, sir," said Misaki.

His eyes focused on Hazuki, saying, "And I thought I told you to kiss a guy out on the field, not me!"

"There wasn't time," said Hazuki.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Megumi asked.

"My name is Kobayashi Gorou, leader of Section Three," he said.

"Oh… So you're the jerk that hired my mom after the Harvest incident."

"Megumi!" chimed Misaki.

"It's all right, Yayoi. I think this young lady has every right to hate me: especially since her team has been hunting us down. Yayoi joined us on her own accord."

"You knew she would! You took advantage of her feelings after BK201's star disappeared!"

Gorou stared at Megumi for a few seconds before pursing his lips, and then said, "And I'm about to do it again. We can help you find the young man, Hizumi, if you will join us."

A small gasp escaped Megumi's lips, as her heart pounded heavily. She tried to bring it under control, but it was getting the best of her. It felt as though her feelings for Hizumi was genetic.

"_Hei's kid,"_ Amber's voice echoed in her brain._ "You have to let him go, or you will follow your mother's path. If you follow her path, history will repeat itself. You will not have a wonderful life, and neither will your son. You won't even see him grow up into a handsome man."_

"I… I… refuse…!" she fought to say. "I'll find the New Kuro no Shinigami on my own terms."

"You really have no choice, Itashi Megumi-san," said Gorou. "Right now, you're the most wanted person in Tokyo. The Police Department is accusing you of killing those two police men."

"How? They were killed by a Contractor!"

"The police department said you fought with them, causing them to run a red light and ended up getting t-boned while the TCS was turned off."

"That's not true! They never had it on! And there wasn't another car involved!"

"Not from the reports I'm getting."

"Then I'll leave Tokyo! The Foreign Affairs and the local police department have no jurisdiction outside Tokyo unless it concerns foreigners or Contractors, and I'm neither."

"Soon that won't matter. Minister Chaplin's plan is to rule the whole of Japan. Then you will have nowhere to run."

"That's not possible!"

"Killing President Markus will be," said Misaki. Megumi looked at her dumbfounded. "From what we have gathered, he plans to assassinate him in a few days. They plan on putting the blame on the Japanese people with planted evidence and force Japan's Prime Minister to step down to prevent a Civil War."

"That's insane! How did you come across this?"

"Madam Oreille," said Gorou.

"Madam Oreille? The Underground ringleader? Surely you can't trust what she says!"

"Madam Oreille's Intel is second to none. She is one hundred percent accurate. The information she gave us on where you were going to be killed was right."

"What?"

"So, do you still doubt her intelligence, Itashi Megumi?"

Megumi stared at him for a few seconds, and then said, "Alright! I'll join. But I'm keeping my name. I'm quite fond of it!"

"Very well. Agent Ichinose, you can take those handcuffs off."

Misaki nodded and removed the cuffs. Megumi rubbed at her wrist, glaring at Gorou.

"So what now?" she asked.

"Agent Hazuki and Ichinose will show you around and to your room," he replied.

Misaki and Hazuki guided Megumi out of the office, down the hall towards another door and entered into a spacious dimly lit room. Megumi gasped as she gazed at a dozen Dolls inside liquid tubes along the sidewalls. On the back wall were a hologram and a computer desk with a few workers.

Her eyes widened as she recognized two of the workers.

"Kanami-san? Ootsuka-san?" she questioned. The two women turned around, smiling at her. "What…? What are you two doing here?"

"Helping out our country, Megumi-chan," said Ootsuka.

"By helping out Section Three? What do you think Saitou-san and Kouno-san would think?"

"Saitou was alright with me working here since I lost my job thanks to that woman, Abha, before he died," said Kanami.

"And Kouno is out on the field as we speak," replied Ootsuka.

A dense and lost for words look appeared on Megumi's face. Things didn't make any sense.

"By the way, Megumi," began Kanami with a stern look. "When are you going to pay me for the dress you wore to the banquet and ruined?"

"Eh…? But that was a gift!"

"It still cost a lot of money! I nearly went broke buying that for you!"

"Then you shouldn't have bought it for her," said Misaki, crossing her arms.

Kanami smiled at her old friend, and said, "I bought it for her 'cause I knew you and Charlie would disapprove. Got her a lot of guys, didn't it."

_Along with Hizumi, _thought Megumi while frowning.

"Come on, Megumi, it's time to take you to your room," said Misaki.

Exiting the small lab, they headed to their right to walk down a long passage. Moments later, they turned to their left, and then a right after passing two corridors before coming up to room number 667. Misaki opened the door and guided Megumi in. It was bright and spacious, which included a hazel couch that stood out like a sore thumb along the front wall, a hologram television before it, and a couple of other doors along the left wall.

"You need to fire your decorator," babbled Megumi

"Your bedroom is on the right, and the bathroom is on the left," said Misaki, ignoring the comment. "Get some rest. Tomorrow you have a big day."

Misaki and Hazuki left, leaving Megumi alone. She entered the bedroom to see a king size bed, laid on it to feel it was hard, and fell into a deep sleep.


	23. Chapter 23

Generation New

A Path Down Memory Lane:

**Past:**

Hei stood in a fighting stance before his ten-year-old son, who was also in a stance, but was breathing heavily. They were in a massive training arena with mats underneath, wooden swords, bou staffs and helmet guards along the wall.

"Attack!" ordered Hei. His son did, throwing a left, only to be grabbed and then thrown to the ground. "Too much anger!"

The boy cursed while standing, threw a right, left, and reaped his attacks, as Hei easily dodged, irritating him.

"Hold still!" demanded the boy, having him furiously kick at Hei's head.

Hei snatched it, kicked at the back of the boy's knee, and then kicked him across the face. Blood spilled from the boy's mouth as he fell to the ground. Hei glared down at him displeased.

"You have too much anger inside you," he said. "Suppress it."

"Like you did!" challenged the boy, spitting some of his blood on the floor before standing. "I think I'll use it!"

The boy walked over to grab a wooden sword and held it before him. Showing no fear, Hei stood ready for him to attack. Still irritated, the boy raised the sword over his head screaming, and charged. At the last second, as the boy brought forth the sword, Hei sidestepped to strike the kid in his kidney, stole the sword, and slammed it on his back.

"Pathetic!" barked Hei.

**Present:**

A swift hit to Megumi's abdomen woke her up suddenly, causing her to let out a huff of pain, and roll to fall out of bed. She looked up to see Hazuki standing and beaming down at her.

"It's ten-thirty!" she barked. "A real woman is up at the crack of dawn, like your mother. Get up already!"

"Excuse me," replied Megumi, as she stood, "but have you forgotten I was beaten and nearly killed!"

"No excuse. Even people on the their death beds have a purpose to attend to."

"What? Like death?" Megumi mocked.

Hazuki was silent for a second, and then said, "Hurry and shower. You smell funny. A woman of your standards shouldn't reek of such things."

Concerning the statement, Megumi eyed her newfound alarm clock, and said, "No peeking!"

She stepped before a closet and opened it to reveal a dozen business suits and shoes. However, they were exactly like her mother's Foreign Affairs clothes, making her whimper. She hated that outfit.

Dealing with it, Megumi snatched one from the center and entered the bathroom, making sure the door was securely locked. She turned on the shower to warm it up, and then slowly removed her clothes while cringing from the aches and pain. There were bruises on her stomach and some cuts from broken glass.

Guys liked scars on women: right?

As if it mattered, since she thought scars to her were a turn off at times. Perhaps she could leave on her shirt while having a one-night stand. Again she was kidding herself.

Megumi stepped into the shower and let the soothing water coat her body. It seemed to wipe all worries for the time, but it all returned, as she shut off the valves and dressed, making sure the top three buttons were undone to show some cleavage and irritate her mother.

She exited the bathroom, having Hazuki glare at her, mostly at her chest.

"Fits you better than your mother," she said, licking her chops.

She figured getting away from Shoji would put an end to the sexual harassment, but apparently she was wrong.

"In your dreams," stated Megumi, making Hazuki smile. A part of her wanted to deal with Shoji's comments instead of hers. "Can we go?"

Hazuki guided Megumi out of her room and tracked back to the office where she met Gorou. Everybody was present when they arrived, including Kouno. Her mom glanced at her for a second, and then fixated her attention on her outfit while frowning. It seemed Misaki wanted to say something about it, but she kept her comments to herself.

However, Kouno didn't.

"Looking sharp in that suit, Megumi-chan," he flirted.

"Toriumi Kousuke! Focus!" shouted Misaki. "Your findings from last night!"

"Sorry, sorry, Ichinose! From what I have gathered, President Marcus will be traveling from Narita Airport instead of the Military base. He wants to show that someone like him is equal to the public and go through the same customs."

"If that's the case, then why not board a commercial plane," commented Megumi, never caring for the current President.

"Agent Itashi, this is not the Foreign Affairs," spoke up Gorou. "We are more civilized here."

"Sorry," she frowned.

"From what I have gathered, it sounds as though there is an attack happing on the President outside the city. I believe that Chaplin's people will take out the President on the Higashi-Kantou express way," said Kouno. "They'll probably have an ambush set up. It's the most logical thing to do in order to blame the Japanese public."

The situation Kouno was presenting seemed probable, but something was nagging at Megumi that wasn't right. As on queue, it hit her.

"Where did you get your Intel from?" she spoke up, having everybody look at her.

"Tailing or bugging people close to Dick Chaplin, like Andrew, Professor Peppermint, and your father before he died," said Kouno.

"That's what Chaplin wants you to think. He knew Section Three would bug his people so he fed you a lame story. He wants us to pour all our resources out of the city, knowing we'll have a hard time getting back in after we realized we've been had. The assassination will take place at Tokyo Tower where he'll speak."

"And where in the city would that happen?" questioned Gorou.

She thought for a second.

"Can you check to see where three foreigners worked?"

"Yes," nodded Ootsuka from before her desk.

"Miguel Perez, Jose Martinez, and Santos Santana."

Ootsuka typed the names into her computer and within seconds, she had their work schedule.

"They all worked at the B Akasaka Hotel," she said.

"The B Akasaka Hotel?" questioned Kouno. "It's only four stores high, making it impossible for anybody to make a shot towards Tokyo Tower. Not only that, it's in the Roppongi district. You're best bet is to find a high place in Akabanebashi: like the Prince Park Tower Tokyo."

"He'll have a Contractor kill him. MC762. He's a former sniper named John Right who was a U.S. Marines who went AWOL five years ago. His ability is to make objects turn in mid air that usual can't."

"Like bullets," said Misaki. "He'll be able to have the bullet zip through the buildings like a car right to his targets, making it impossible to direct it back to him."

"As he did to the foreigners." Megumi frowned, as she thought of something else. "That's why Chaplin told Commander Hayate to back off on the Perez and Martinez case. That must have gotten him killed, and I have a funny feeling Hachi's behind it."

"Megumi! Don't forget what I told you! Don't guess things unless you have proof."

"But that's the logical conclusion, Mo… eh, Yayoi-san."

"In any case," spoke up Gorou. "If Agent Itashi is correct, then the Foreign Affairs would be surveying buildings in Akabanebashi."

"Which would direct them to Prince Park Tower Tokyo and perhaps find a sniper rifle there," suggested Ootsuka.

Misaki sighed from the guesswork her former teammates were doing, but things did seem to fit their statement. After all, she had done it with Li Shengshun.

"Let's assume Agent Itashi is correct, where would he take the shot since he can curve the bullet?" she asked.

Megumi looked at her mother peculiarly, figuring she would know the answer. As responding to her curiosity, Misaki shrugged her shoulder, suggesting to her daughter to give the answer since it was her case, indicating she already knew.

"Oh, right. Ootsuka-san, can you find out what floors they worked on?"

"Yes, and its Inamura Yuuna."

With quick fingers, Ootsuka went to work. As she looked up the information, Megumi worked her way over to Kanami.

"And what's your new name?" she asked.

"Tanaka Tai!" Kanami smiled.

Megumi's eyes widened in shock, knowing that name too well do to her father's favorite porn sites on his computer when she was a kid. The things she had seen and learned.

"The Japanese porn star?"

"And whom else would I pick? The Seiyu Kobayashi Sanae?"

"And she was a good actress. She did some fine animes like, Macross Frontier, DN Angel, Naruto, and Darker…"

"Got it!" shouted Ootsuka. "Top floor."

"Any rooms they worked in?"

"No. Just that they had access to the top floor."

"They might have been setting up for his escape," said Misaki. "He could be in any room."

"That won't matter. He'll do the shooting from the rooftop. He'll feel more at home out in the open than in a closed environment."

"Doesn't sound right," said Kouno. "Helicopters will be flying overhead and they'll spot him."

"He'll be camouflaged."

"Heh! Then it'll be really easy since there's no plants or trees on any roofs nearby."

"How is it you made detective and was picked for the Foreign Affairs?"

"Agent Itashi, that's enough!" shouted Misaki. "You too, Kousuke!"

"Sorry, Chief, eh, I mean, Agent Yayoi."

"What time does Air Force One land tomorrow?"

"One o'clock."

"So he should be in Tokyo around two. The killing could happen as early as two-thirty."

"MC762 will most likely set up an hour before then," said Megumi. "So we got a window of an hour to stop the assassination."

"And I'm sure Chaplin will have his own security keeping an eye out on things."

_Like Jackal,_ thought Megumi. _Along with Hizumi._

Apart of her believed their path would cross soon. Wanting to see him again was intoxicating, but Amber's words kept on ringing through her ears. Could she really let him go?

"Itashi and I will check things out before night fall," said Misaki. She looked towards Hazuki. "Alone!"

"I'd advise against it," replied Hazuki. "Your Porsche doesn't blend in too well."

"I'm not taking it. We'll be taking one of the service ones."

"I still think it's a bad idea."

Misaki averted her attention towards Ootsuka, and asked, "Is it mentioned what type of vehicles will be transporting the President?"

"Yes. Battery operated vehicles that aren't connected to TCS. Why is that?"

"Just incase of an emergency, the driver doesn't have to spend time disconnecting the system, and I'm sure the cars have foot pedals, not levers. They're easier to maneuver and have a little more power."

"Faster than your fossil car?" Megumi asked.

"Doubt it, but I'm not betting on it either," Misaki said while crossing her arms. "Good thing I had it tuned."

"Tuned?"

"Meaning she changed the spark plugs and oil to keep the engine in top performance," said Kouno.

"Oh, duh!"

"Kousuke," continued Misaki, looking over at Kouno. "I want you at ground zero and keep an eye out for a second gun man incase things go south for MC762."

"The place is going to be packed," he said. "It's going to be hard for one person to hunt through all the people."

"What if we got someone else to help out?" asked Megumi.

"Like whom? You, Yayoi and Hazuki will be taking on MC762 while Yuuna will be helping Tai."

The code names were getting under Megumi's skin as she desperately tried to keep up with it. It was surprising Kouno was doing well, but if Saitou was still alive she was sure his brain would be a mesh.

"If the Foreign Affairs is going to be disbanded," continued Megumi, "then I know the perfect people to help us. Shoji and Sakura."

"Sorry, Agent Itashi, but it's too risky," said Misaki. "It was risky enough bringing you here."

"Actually, Agent Yayoi, she's right," said Gorou.

"What?" questioned everybody except Megumi.

"But then again, are you sure they can be trusted?"

"You trusted Kanami, Kouno and Ootsuka, right?" pointed out Megumi. "They use to work for the Foreign Affairs."

"Fair enough. But if there's a slight chance they turn, take them out, Kousuke." Kouno nodded. "Take the time to get things set up, and when you can find time tonight, Agent Itashi, contact your partners."

Past:

Seven years had past with Hei training the boy, and it felt he wasn't ready for real combat. However, Madam Oreille thought differently. She had a mission for him that tracked back to when Hei was killed. The Contractor who had aided Jackal had been spotted in Istanbul. FU789. Hei and his son were in the Grand Bazaar in different locations, keeping an eye out.

Hei wore a dark shirt and tan shorts. To his displeasure, his hair began to gray in spots.

The Grand Bazaar was a long arch structure that branched off different directions. It sold rugs, merchandises and other things. Women dressed in robes from head to toe with their husbands wearing heavy garments walked through the place.

"Any sign?" asked Hei into his mike. There was no response. "Kim! Answer."

"_My name is Hizumi, old man!" _said the boy.

"That's your cover name. Kim is your code name! Do you see the target?"

"_No! Why? You want him to yourself?"_

"Stay focus, Kim!"

"_Stop calling me Kim, old man, or I'll kill you!"_

"You've been trying for years with no success."

"_Don't you fret. I'll get my shot in!"_

Hei snorted. The boy's ego was going to get him killed if he couldn't get it under control. In a way, he acted like him at times, but there were times he showed his mother's side. Hei hardly saw it since his son kept it locked up a majority of the time. However, it would appear when he would talk to strangers while pretending to be a normal person, like Hei would bring forth his Li cover.

"_I got him!" _said Hizumi.

"I'm coming," replied Hei.

"_Don't bother, old man. I got him."_

"Wait before you make a mess! Kim! Kim! Hiz… Hizumi! Damn it!"

Displeased at his son, Hei stood and headed to his son's last location. When he reached an open area of the Grand Bazaar, the boy was missing. He was going to get himself killed.

Hei walked over to a man dressed in all black, put on his Li smile, and asked, "Excuse me, but did you see where a young Asian man with blue eyes and black hair headed off to?"

"Yes. He headed into the Grand Bazaar that way," the man said, pointing to the right section.

"Thank you, sir."

Hei charged to the other side of the Grand Bazaar, almost plowing into a lady carrying a vase on her head, and began checking the area. Everybody was dressed in the same attire except for color, which should have been easy to spot Hizumi, but seemed nearly impossible from the clutter of people.

A red baseball cap caught his attention and he cautiously headed for it. As he drew closer, Hei could tell it was his son in the clothes he used to wear once posing as Li Shengshun. A few people stood before him, along with a tall man with short, blond and curly hair, wearing a white dress shirt, black pants and dress shoes.

Suddenly, the blond-haired man began to glow blue, which had Hizumi fall to his knees while breathing heavily.

His son had been made.

The crowd screamed and scramble around in fright, allowing Hei's prey to run off. Hei tried to chase after him, but from the frantic shoppers it made things difficult.

He pushed and shoved his way through, doing so little, and nearly getting trampled in the process. With a quick glance, the blond-haired man came into view as he too struggled with the crowd. However, he was meters from the exit.

Hei hurried himself to catch his prey, but before he could, the blond man reached the outskirts of the market. Frustration infuriated Hei from his son's lack of skills and would have to reprimand him for it and Madam Oreille for allowing him to come along.

After shoving over a few dozen people out of his way, Hei exited the Grand Bazaar and spotted the blond man, who had a good head start. He had been able to reach the other side of the street and hurried down a block. Hei gave chase, heading across the street while stopping cars, and sliding over a couple of hoods. Once on the other side, he rammed into a couple turning a corner, having them whimper in shock, and fall to their bottoms as he tumbled to the ground. FU789 looked back, startled to see who was chasing him, and continued running.

Hei cursed while standing and gave chase once more. The blond-haired man threw baskets, boxes, food stands and people in Hei's path to slow him down. Having enough of the obstacles, Hei ran up a few stacks of boxes to reach the rooftops to follow his target a little easier, hopping and jumping onto buildings. Although, it had its disadvantage since he kept losing momentum.

After what seemed like a quarter of a mile, the blond-haired man glowed blue, having Hei become fatigue, as though his life was being sucked out of him. He stumbled and fell off the roof to land in a stack of hay. The blond-haired man walked up to him still glowing blue.

"You! You're supposed to be dead!" he barked. "I helped Jackal kill you! I saw with my own eyes you lying in your own blood! How is it you're still alive?" Hei stayed silent. The blond-haired man grabbed Hei's shirt and placed a knife to his throat. "Tell me! You own me since I have to run another five hundred meters for my obeisance! You don't, I drain your whole body of its energy. It becomes slow and painful!"

There was a sharp pain that pierced FU789's back. He looked over his shoulder and saw the boy in the red cap breathing heavily. Cursing with his last breath, he fell to the ground, as the boy yanked his weapon from his pelvis.

"Kind of irrational to want to know how someone is still alive, isn't it?" commented Hizumi at the corpse. "Cost you your life, dumbass!"

Hizumi glared over at Hei as a star fell, firmly holding his blade backhanded.

"Now's… your… chance… Kim," muttered Hei.

Hizumi grinded his teeth and threw his blade, stabbing it by Hei's head. Hei hadn't flinch from the action.

"It's Hizumi, old man! I'd prefer to kill you when you're not drained of your energy! That would make me no better than Jackal!"

Hizumi turned and left.

**Present:**

Misaki and Megumi pulled up to the B Akasaka Hotel in a green, square shaped car. The building was four stores high, as Kouno had said, and rectangular in length. The name of the hotel was on a flat awning above the entrance with stairs to the left leading upwards and a window revealing the restaurant to the right. They exited the vehicle and entered the lobby. The place had luxurious dark wood framing, tan colored walls, and dim lighting, making Megumi think she'd have to give up a whole years worth of her paychecks to stay one night.

Misaki walked up to the counter where a young lady wearing a black short sleeve shirt and long pants waited.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Do you have a room open on the top floor?" Misaki asked.

"The… the top floor…? I'm sorry, but we're booked up there. We have rooms available on seven floors only. Would you prefer a single, double or twin?"

"I was hoping to get a double on the top floor. My daughter and I are visiting from Yokohama and we always stay up there. We're here for only two days."

"Eh… sorry ma'am, but like I had said, we're booked up there until the day after President Marcus's speech."

"Not even a single room?"

"No, I'm sorry. If you'd like, we can give you and your daughter a free spa treatment?"

"No, that's all right." Misaki handed over a card. "We'll take a double on the seventh floor."

"We will?" questioned Megumi. Misaki glared at her devilishly. "Oh, right, we will."

"Name?" asked the lady, as she took the card.

"Shengshun Riku."

Megumi's right eye rose.

"Oh, Chinese!" the lady commented.

"My husband. He past away a little while ago."

"Oh, sorry to hear. And there you are in our system."

The lady continued typing while setting up their room. Megumi had a lot of questions, like why was Shengshun Riku already in the hotel's computer, and why that particular name. She knew the reason for Shengshun but what was the purpose of Riku? Was it because it sounded like Li-kun? If that was the case then that was typical of her.

"How many days was it? Two?" the lady asked.

"Yes."

The lady typed a couple of more times, and then swiped Misaki's card.

"There you go," said the lady and held up a black device. "Please place your thumbs on the pad."

Misaki did as told while Megumi hesitated, figuring hers would set up an alarm since she was wanted. Seeing her nervous about it, Misaki nodded it would be fine in which Megumi placed her thumb on the pad.

"All right!" chimed the lady. "Your room number is 710. Just place your thumbs to the pad on the door and it should open for you. Do you have any bags?"

"Yes, but we'll get them ourselves," said Misaki.

"All right. I've set you up for a one o'clock spa treatment tomorrow, free of charge. Have a wonderful stay."

"Thank you."

Misaki took back her card and headed over to the elevator with Megumi in tow. Once they were on it and began ascending to the top floor, Megumi said, "Shengshun Riku?"

"It's only a cover name."

"Maybe, but I know it means more than a name."

A frown appeared on Misaki's face, but vanished quickly as the elevator stopped and opened its doors. They stepped out and started roaming around it. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary until a housekeeping lady exited a room.

"Excuse me, but can I help you?" she asked.

"Oh, we're just heading to our room," said Misaki.

"Your… room…? What room is that?"

"And why do you need to know that?" questioned Megumi.

"Because. Nobody is supposed be on this floor. It's been fully reserved!"

"Really? By whom?"

The housekeeping lady opened her mouth to speak, but stopped as something clicked in her brain, and said instead, "Never mind! Just hurry and get off this floor! Like now, before someone else sees you!"

The housekeeping lady pushed her cart down the hall looking displeased. The two former Section-Chief women glanced at each other, believing they had enough to prove something was going on.

Xxx

Shoji worked frantically with the tons of work that had poured on him. One was the case concerning Megumi, which was preposterous, a few Contractor activities that he had to send a bunch of minor Foreign Officers on that were nearly killed, and protection routes for the President tomorrow.

His phone buzzed, letting him know he had a text message. A shrill curse escaped his lips due to the fact that nobody used text messages anymore. It was considered part of the Stone Age era, and now he had to pay five yen for each character typed.

He pulled it out to see it was an unknown number, which irritated him even more, and opened it.

_come alone to bro apt in Shinjuku at 8pm Room 201_

_you dont THATS STRIKE 3_

Shoji's eyes widened. What the heck was Megumi thinking sending him a text and wanting to meet him? It couldn't be because she was turning herself in. That would be ignorant.

The clock on his desk said seven-oh-five, which gave him fifty-five minutes. Perhaps he should ignore the message, but knowing her, she would find a way to feed him his last strike.

He stood from his desk while grabbing his gun, having Sakura look up at him puzzled, and asked, "What's up?"

"Checking out a lead," he said.

"What lead?"

"Nothing important."

"Does it have anything to do with the message you got?"

"No, no. It's nothing, Sakura."

"It is something. What is it? Is… is it… Megumi…? Did…?"

"Sakura, please. The less you know, the better."

"I want to help!"

"I know, but it's best if one of us isn't mixed up in this mess. I'll talk to you later."

Shoji entered the elevator to descend to the garage, walked over to his rental car, and sat in it while programming in the destination. This better had not been a dumb move.

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up to the apartment and exited his car. Shoji headed up the stairs and walked up to the room, noticing the door ajar. On instinct, he pulled out his gun and carefully entered to see the place still looked like crap.

A gun clicked at the side of his head from behind the door.

"Drop the gun," said a woman that wasn't Megumi. Shoji did so. "Hands up!" Not wanting any problems, he continued to obey. The woman began to pat him down to see if he had any other weapons. Confirming he was clean, the woman clicked off her gun and backed off. "He's good."

They stepped forward, revealing Misaki was the culprit, before Megumi exited the bathroom.

"What's going on?" questioned Shoji.

"I didn't kill those cops, Shoji," defended Megumi.

"I know that, but why are you hanging around your mom? Isn't she working for the bad guys?"

"At the moment, no."

Shoji glared at her dumbfound, having her tell him the whole story.

"You're kidding, right?" he questioned. "I mean, the Minister killing the President and then disbanding the Foreign Affairs? Megumi, that's outrageous!"

"It's true, and we need yours and Sakura's help."

"Our help? Look, I'll help you, but not Sakura. At least one of us has to be innocent of all of this, and she's the best bet."

"And I would agree, but Chaplin won't see it that way."

"Megumi!"

"Trust me. If there were another way, I wouldn't ask, but I see no alternative. Unless you do?"

Shoji held his face for a moment before huffing out exhaustion, and said, "No, I don't. What do you need us to do?"

Xxx

Megumi sat quietly next to her mother thinking of the situation she had put Shoji and Sakura in. The consequences were severe if things went wrong and her comrades were fugitives. They were in a tight pinch even if they did nothing. If they were successful then Megumi would be clear and the Foreign Affairs could continue on. It was a sticky situation they were in.

Suddenly, Megumi realized they were heading in the wrong direction.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Down memory lane."

Megumi frowned, knowing exactly where they were heading. The past was the past and should be left there; returning it whenever somebody felt necessary was irrational. Although, she was one to talk when it came to her baby brother.

They pulled up to a bridge with a staircase built into it. They exited the vehicle with Misaki holding flowers. The two women ascended the stairs, and as they reached the top, Misaki laid the flowers on the curve where November Eleven had died.

With the commotion going on, she had forgot the date. As long as Megumi could remember, her mother always made a trip into Tokyo on this day to pay her respect. It was sweet, but the man was a Contractor, and he would probably think her actions were irrational.

Once Misaki was done giving her respect, they descended the stairs to return to the car and took off. Still they were heading the wrong way, indicating that Misaki wasn't done with the past. Megumi thought about saying something, but she kept her opinions to herself.

Moments later, they pulled up to the batting cages. It was surprising this place was still up and running after the carnage Tokyo had gone through. Misaki exited her car and walked over to the spot where her and Hei had sat while gazing up at the fake stars. Megumi frowned and departed as well.

"Why can't you let him go?" she asked, sarcastically. Misaki looked back at her daughter with a sorrow expression. "Are we really going down this path again? Would you have done the same thing with your dead boyfriend too, or was it something about dad!"

"Megumi. The things that happened with your dad and me, and with Ruki…"

"I don't want to hear it. It's your entire fault that this crap happened! If you would just let BK201 be dead, then we all could have moved on with our lives!"

"You really think that, Megumi? What do you think would have happened when you turned thirteen and we were all a happy family? Because of your curse, your father or me would have died, and then what? No matter if I had let Li-kun go, our lives would still be a mess."

Megumi snorted while averting her eyes and crossing her arms.

"And what about you, Megumi?" She glared at her mother, wondering what she was getting at. "You didn't think I missed how you reacted seeing that boy, Hizumi."

"He has nothing to do with this!"

"Does he? I've seen how you've been. How you were when you thought it had been BK201 who had killed him."

"I thought he was a normal human being! I thought he was a great guy I could spend some time with, and maybe more!"

"AS DID I WITH LI!" shouted Misaki, causing Megumi to gasp. "The man I fell for had never made me feel the way he did. I never thought about a relationship due to my work until I ran into him. I was heart stricken when I found out the truth about him, as you were."

Huffing out her uneasiness, Megumi stormed back to the car and sat in it. Misaki returned moments later and headed back to their hideout. Silence filled the cabin since Megumi kept her attention on the building as they went by.

As much as Megumi wanted to deny it, they're life style was the same. Enrolled into law enforcement, singed up for the Foreign Affairs, became the Section-Chief at a young age, joined Section Three, and has a crush on a masked outlaw.

"I'm sorry, Mom," said Megumi while looking at her, not wanting to hold the tension between them.

"It's all right. We both have had it rough. But we have to move on with our future."

Megumi smiled, but then something like an invisible semi hit and threw the car into the air to land on the incoming lane to have cars smash into them, as glass and pieces of plastic and metal flew everywhere. Cars that weren't hit tried to stop in time, but a few weren't quick enough and were caught up in the wreck. Misaki's car somehow settled on all four wheels, the driver and back passenger tires blown out.

Megumi stirred awake and looked over at her mother, noticing she was out cold. At the corner of her eye, she spotted a man and a woman standing across the street glaring at them. The woman wore a tan tank top shirt, bulky green pants, and army boots. She also held what looked like an anti-freeze jug.

The man had on what looked like a blue with white stripes gangster outfit, holding a Tommy gun.

The woman opened the jug and drank it, cringing from the taste, as the man cocked back his gun and pointed it at Misaki's car. Megumi gasped and pulled down her mother, as bullets pummeled the car. There were screams filling the air from paranoid and frantic civilians in the area. Pieces of glass and other things from the car covered Megumi and her mother due to the deadly attack.

Once the shooting had stopped, Megumi unclipped hers and her mother's seat belt, and dragged her mother out of the car. The woman glowed blue, raised her hand to aim it at the car, and sent a shock wave to slam it into the car, and if Megumi hadn't moved fast enough, it would have crushed them between it and a building. Megumi pulled out her gun, aimed it at the Contractor, and fired. However, the Contractor sent a smaller wave to redirect the bullet into a female civilian's head.

After the man reloaded his gun, he aimed it at the two Section Three women, causing Megumi to pull her mother and hide behind another car, as bullets struck it. The Contractor took the opportunity to drink some more anti-freeze.

As soon as the man ran out of bullets again, Megumi fired at him, but the Contractor shielded him and killed a male civilian. Megumi was at a loss. She knew she couldn't keep this fight up alone; especially with her mother knocked out. At least she hoped her mother was knocked out. She hadn't had time to check for a pulse.

Suddenly, she heard a scream, and then continued firing that wasn't aimed at them. Megumi peeked over the car, noticing the Contractor woman lying dead on the ground and the man trying to get a lock on a woman in a black suit hopping around like a gymnast before severing his arms, causing him to scream out in pain, and then piercing his heart.

The woman in black hopped on the car, and peered down at Megumi while removing her mask.

"I told you two you needed me," said Hazuki, as a star fell behind her.


	24. Chapter 24

Generation New

The Old Falls while the New Rises:

**Past:**

Late in the night, Hei stood in a darkened alley with steam pouring out of the manholes, glaring devilishly at Madam Oreille after his mission concerning FU789. She held her usual composure, waiting for the formally dead reaper to speak.

"It was unwise to have him come along!" he said, in a quiet but deadly tone.

"Upset he took your prize?" she teased.

"He wasn't ready," yelled Hei. "He was too arrogant, obnoxious and is too young!"

"Weren't you his age during Heaven's Gate? And weren't you younger than he was when you made your first kill?"

Hei shouldn't have been shocked she knew that information, but apart of him was and tried to hide it while grinding his teeth together. The woman before him was more mysterious than how the Gates really appeared.

"I see that triggered an old nerve," she smirked. "Not too many people know your real name either, do they?" Hei's eyes twitched. "Don't worry, Kuro no Shinigami, that secret is safe with me, as is Hizumi's name." Madam Oreille held out a wad of money. "Yours and Hizumi's payment."

"It's Kim!" corrected Hei, as he took the money.

"I like Hizumi better."

She departed the reaper while waving goodbye and turned a corner to disappear. Hei snorted and headed to his hideout where his son waited.

**Present:**

Megumi smacked her mother to wake her, shouting, "Mom! Wake up! Mom!"

After the sixteenth slap, Misaki came to, blabbering, "What… happened? Where… are… we?"

"We were attacked by a Contractor and a human. Hazuki saved us."

Misaki glanced around and spotted her partner standing watch, ready for any assaults.

"Who are they and how did they find us?" Misaki asked, as she was helped to her feet.

"I don't know. I would have said that they were working for a non-contract agency, but what would be the point of attacking us. As for finding us, they were probably waiting at November Eleven's last stand."

Misaki cursed.

"I should have known," she muttered, placing her hand to her bleeding forehead. "I'm getting careless in my old age. Hazuki. Did you bring my car?"

"Its around back," said Hazuki.

"Let's go."

The three women began heading off. As they did, there was an explosion that sent them through the air to slam onto and tumble along the street. A male stood nearby glowing blue, holding rocks. He tossed it towards Megumi, having her roll out of its path, but getting caught in the explosion and being thrown into a car before landing on her side. Misaki hurried over to her daughter, firing her gun for cover.

"Megumi!" screamed Misaki.

"I'm fine! Just the wind knocked out of me!" she assured. "Guessing Chaplin really wants us dead, hey? What a _'Dick!_'"

"Don't assume it's him!"

"Whom else would it be? The Easter bunny?"

Misaki frowned at her daughter, but quickly withdrew it as she saw the Contractor throw another rock. They didn't have time to escape it, telling Misaki that hers and her daughter's life were at an end. Suddenly, in the last second, Hazuki stepped before them, used her light saber-like sword to softly catch the rock and sent it back. The Contactor looked on frightened, and screamed as he was caught in his own explosion.

"Let's go!" shouted Hazuki.

A star fell as they headed for the car with Hazuki watching their backs. Once the Porsche was in sight, Megumi and Hazuki rounded to the passenger side while Misaki took the driver's. As she opened the door, a shot fired, making her flinch and fire her gun over her shoulder, killing a woman in a gangster style outfit.

She sat in the car, turned on the engine, and peeled off onto the road. Misaki made quick work with the gears to escape, but once she turned a corner, they were met with a dozen black cars. On reflex, Misaki slammed on the brakes, pulled up on the emergency brake, and performed a one-eighty. With quick hand and foot work, Misaki peeled off trailed by unknown assailants. She looked in her rearview mirror and cursed.

"What?" Megumi asked.

"They have high performance vehicles," said Misaki. "Probably fossil fuel."

"You can still out run them, right?"

"Maybe, if I hadn't been shot."

Megumi gasped and looked at her mother thoroughly. Blood had formed on her abdomen, telling her it didn't look good. What was she supposed to do now? There was only one thing that came to mind. She rolled down her window, slid out it, and fired her gun at the pursuer's tires. One blew out, causing the car in the lead to lose control, and smash into another. Megumi aimed at another car, taking pop shots, and striking the windshield, having that car lose control and then flip a few times. Parts from it fluttered about before it came to rest in the middle of the street. The remaining cars came to a halt, allowing them to escape.

"Pull over to let Hazuki drive and I can attend to your wound," demanded Megumi.

"No time," said Misaki, cringing in pain. "You only delayed them." Misaki pulled the car over, confusing Megumi. "You and Hazuki need to run. I'll be a decoy."

"Wha… what…? No! I'm not leaving you to die! I've lost so much already, and the hell I'm about to lose you."

"There's no choice. I'm sure they got eyes in the sky hunting my car down. You and Hazuki can at least make it back to Headquarters."

"Mom!"

"Go. NOW!"

Hazuki opened the door, grabbed Megumi by the collar and pulled her out. Once they were cleared, Hazuki slammed the door shut, allowing Misaki to take off.

"MOM!"

Hazuki began dragging a fidgety Megumi, as she yelled, "No! Let me go!"

Having enough of the childish games, Hazuki threw her up against the wall and held her sword to her throat.

"Do you want to keep acting like a child and get killed?" she asked. "If you do, I'll do it for you. Kirihara Misaki is risking her life for yours." Megumi whimpered at Hazuki for using her mother's real name. "Don't throw it away. It would be a waste for someone as pretty as you."

Hazuki pushed away from Megumi to head off while keeping out a keen eye. Megumi straightened out her mother's former suit and followed with her gun at the ready.

Xxx

Misaki fought to keep ahead of her pursers. It was pleasing that they were chasing her and not her daughter: or at least she thought. Things should be all right since a skilled woman like Hazuki, who was as talented as BK201, was with Megumi. However, after her fifty-eight years of living, she knew of one thing. There was always someone else who was stronger.

She whipped the car around a turn, but had to come to a stop from black cars blocking her path and headed in the opposite direction. These people were persistent.

Really persistent as she came up to another blockade and completely stopped. Misaki sat in her car, wondering what to do. There was nowhere to run. It seemed like this was going to be her final showdown.

She took a hold of her gun, checked to see the clip was full, and breathed out her nerves. Misaki flew open her door, stood from her seat and pointed her gun to shoot a man. As humorous as it seems, her pursuers were dressed in gangster outfits, which made it easy to point out who were her targets.

Knowing that she wasn't going down without a fight, the gangster group fired their guns; using nine millimeters, assault rifles, Tommy guns, and Magnums, having Misaki take cover while they pulverized the Porsche. Its tires were punctured, the windows shattered, seats and the dashboard mangled and the sheet metal was cluttered with bullet holes, as radiator fluid began seeping onto the ground.

Once they had emptied out their clips and began reloading, Misaki stood, and took down two more gangsters. Unfortunately, before she could retake cover, she was struck in the shoulder, and then the stomach. She killed two more of her opponents while plummeting behind a car and resting against it.

"Bentley! Go check to see if she's dead!" ordered a female voice.

"Me? Why not you?" questioned a male voice.

"Cause, I said so!"

"Have Woodchuck check her out!"

"Fine! Woodchuck, you do it!"

Moments later, a short man rounded her car to stare down at her.

"She's still alive!" he said. "What now?"

Before he could get an answer, Misaki put a bullet in his chest, killing him.

"Dumb ass! You kill her!" shouted the female voice. "Bentley! Finish her off! And no ifs, ands or buts about it!"

Like clock work, a taller man carefully rounded the car, aiming his gun, and said, "Drop it." Misaki did so, tired of fighting anyways. "Where are the other two?"

Misaki chuckled, replying, "Go play with yourself!"

"Wrong answer!"

Bentley raised his gun to finish her off. However, at the last second, a wire wrapped around his wrist from out of nowhere, and then was electrocuted. He screamed out in agony before falling forward dead. Misaki could hear the remaining gangsters being finished off. It seemed BK201 and his kid had arrived.

As on queue, Hei leaped from the rooftop to stand before her, having her smile up at him.

"You're… a little late… this time…" she muttered.

"I'm sorry," said Hei.

Misaki held her smile, and with her last breath, she said, "Want… to get something to eat…?"

"Ah!" nodded Hei, as he watched the life slip from her eyes.

Xxx

The Tokyo police swarmed the scene where a dozen non-contractor agents and Kirihara Misaki had lost their lives. Hachi stood before them, looking down at his former commander in Yokohama. It seemed even the best couldn't live forever.

Shoji approached him looking displeased, and yelled, "This should be the Foreign Affairs matter!"

"Unfortunately it's not," said Hachi. "These people, from what I can see, aren't Contractors. So it falls under us."

"Damn it, Hachi! You and I both know they are non-contract agents, which falls under my jurisdiction! Not yours. And besides! From witness testimony a few blocks away, they were seen working with Contractors. I also have their Messier Code too. MJ009 and CK093. Not to mention, BK201 had been active in this area!"

"Take it up with the Minister then, Section-Chief."

An officer came up to them.

"I want Kirihara's body brought to HQ to have her memory pulled," ordered Hachi to the officer. "We get her memory, I'm sure we can find her hideout, Madam O, and," he glared at Shoji, "Itashi Megumi."

"Yes, sir," said the officer.

He walked over to a tall, dark-skinned Medical Assistant, and said, "You there. Get this body to the Tokyo Police department."

The dark-skinned man nodded and grabbed a gurney with a body bag on it. He placed Misaki's body in it, zipped it up, and then settled it on the gurney to push it into the ambulance. The dark-skinned man walked around to the driver side to sit in it and looked back at the body. He smiled, showing crooked yellow and missing teeth.

Xxx

Megumi sat alone at a desk with her head down crying. Ten hours from now, she would be heading for the b Akasaka hotel, but that was the least of her concern. Word had reached concerning her mother's death twenty minutes ago.

She had enough of the cop life and wanted out of it. If she somehow survived this mess and proved her innocence, Megumi would quit the Foreign Affairs and head back to Yokohama where she would get a restaurant job.

The elevator door opened with Kanami exiting it. She walked over to Megumi and sat to embrace her.

"I'm so sorry, Megumi," she said. "I know how you feel."

Kanami and her mom weren't just friends, they were like sisters. It felt to her like apart of her had died.

"I didn't want to leave her behind, but I couldn't do anything," whimpered Megumi. "I tried my best to stay, but… but…"

"Megumi…"

"I want her back, Kanami-san."

"I know. So do I."

Around the corner stood Hazuki listening in the shadows. A tear escaped her right eye, making her wipe and look at it somewhat flabbergasted.

Xxx

Hachi sat at his desk hard at work, waiting for information on Misaki's memories. The Kirihara women were something else. Taking this job, he didn't think he would have to deal with so much carnage, but it seemed he was wrong.

One nuisance was out of the way, one more laid waiting. It would please him if he could end her life with his own bare hands. It should have been him picked for the spot at the Foreign Affairs and chosen as the Section-Chief. However, he should be pleased since the Foreign Affairs was twelve hours away from being a mere memory.

He scratched his silky hair in frustration. The point of the matter was that he hated coming in second place. It was the first person to lose.

An officer came up to him.

"Sir, the results," he said, handing over a hand-sized tablet.

Hachi took it, pulled up a hologram screen of the records to scroll through it and his sharp face became distorted, tossing it on his desk while glaring up at the officer.

"Nothing?" he shouted.

"Afraid not, sir," the officer shook his head.

"Damn it! I'm betting Madam Oreille had BK201 wipe her memory before we got there. Burn the body and dump the ashes in the sewer."

"Sir?"

"Do as I say! The last thing that woman deserves is a proper burial!"

"Yes, sir."

The officer left to carry out his orders.

It seemed Megumi escaped his clutches for now. However, he knew she would be at b Akasaka Hotel, and he'll be waiting for her.

Xxx

Megumi woke around five in the morning from not being able to sleep. The last moments being with her mom played in her head, as she tried to think of how she could have saved her mother. No matter how much she thought about it, it ended the same.

She entered the firing rang, slipped a clip into her gun, and began shooting to release some anguish.

After shooting two-dozen targets, and over four-dozen clips, the pain hadn't subsided. However, there was one other way.

She placed in a new clip and pressed the gun to her temple. All she had to do was pull the trigger and the pain and suffering would wipe away. Her finger began to twitch, causing her to clinch her eyelids shut, as she felt fear overwhelm her. Unable to do it, she screamed in agony while pointing her gun forward and repeatedly firing.

Once the clip was empty, Megumi continued pulling the trigger, hoping to find resolution, but after finding none, she dropped to her knees and began crying, as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Xxx

At Narita airport, Air Force One touched down. Once it slowed its speed, the plane pulled up before the airport where reporters, hovering limos and the Prime Minister waited. A ladder moved in front of the door. The plane's door opened moments later, allowing President Dakota Markus and his wife off it.

He resembled closely to an ostrich-like man with bald gray hair, trotting around in a black suite. His wife was plump looking with graying brown hair, wearing a pink outfit and hat similar to Jackie Kennedy's.

They descended the stairs, waving at the crowd, as supporters clapped and reporters took pictures. A few were booing while waving picket signs. The Prime Minister waited patiently at the bottom. Once the First Couple arrived, Chaplin began walking with them towards the limos.

"Welcome to Japan, Mr. and Mrs. President," he said.

"Thank you, Richard," said Mrs. Markus.

"It hasn't been so pleasant, has it, Chaplin!" stated the President, as he kept smiling for the reporters.

"No, sir. But I assure you things are safe in Tokyo now that we've put it in the Police Department's control. We're just about to shut down Section Four and extinguish the problem."

They reached the limo with Chaplin opening the back door.

"I hope so, Dick," said the President, rounding on Chaplin. "I'm taking a lot of risk in the polls. Not only here, but in the States as well."

The president and his wife entered the limo and closed the door. The limo drove off with Chaplin watching them, frowning. He hated it when someone called him Dick. To him, it was disrespectful, and he would see Dakota Markus die for it.

Xxx

Markus and his wife, Sidney, sat in the back comfortably, as they drove out of the airport.

"Honey, don't you think you were a little harsh on him?" she asked.

"I would have been harder if there weren't any reporters around," he replied. "He got off easy."

She frowned at him. Markus smiled at his wife while taking her hand, patting it.

They looked forward, watching the road. Things went smoothly with their escort, which settled Markus's nerves to have him pull out a bottle of Brandy and pour a drink.

"Dakota!" breathed out the First Lady. "You know what the doctor had said about your heart."

"I know." Markus drank it. "But if you don't tell, I won't."

She frowned while smirking and shaking her head.

A half an hour into their ride, a few kilometers outside of the city, the escort and the limo pulled off an exit ramp. Markus and his wife noticed it, which had the President scrounge out of his seat and peer at the driver.

"What do you guys think you are doing?" he questioned. "Why are you getting off the Highway?" To his response, the driver raised the window between him and the back, and then locked the doors. "Hey! I'm talking to you! I'm the President of the United States and I'm ordering you to open this window and answer me!"

"_Shut up and sit back, Mr. President!"_ shouted the driver through a mike.

Markus did so with his wife cuddling up to him frightened.

They pulled off onto a bumpy dirt road and traveled down it for a kilometer before coming to a stop.

"What is going on? Damn it! I'm the President and…"

The window rolled down with the driver pointing a gun at Markus and fired a dart into his neck. Within seconds, he was knocked out. Mrs. Markus began to scream, but that was short lived, as she too was struck with a dart.

The driver placed his right finger in his ear and said, "It's done."

Ten seconds later, the doors opened with two men pulling out the unconscious couple.

Xxx

Megumi and Hazuki entered a turquoise fossil-fueled car with Hazuki taking the wheel. The vehicle had a shifter with a P, R, N, D, 3, 2, and 1 on it, clarifying it was an automatic. It was a 2020 Nissan 370Z coupe, one of the last cars made before companies were forced to switch to battery-powered cars. To Megumi, it resembled her mother's Porsche.

Hazuki pushed a button on the dashboard, bringing the car to life, dropped the shifter into R to back it up, and then placed it in D to pull the car out of the lot and merge it into traffic towards b Akasaka hotel.

Megumi sat quietly in the passenger's seat, but the silence made her agitated. After five minutes of wordless conversations, she said, "How much did you truly love my mom?"

"Love is an irrational feeling to me," said Hazuki.

"But you do feel it," Megumi rounded on the kendo woman. "If you didn't, you wouldn't have persisted on kissing her and your old colleague, Youko Sawasaki."

Hazuki slammed on the brakes while pulling the car over and drawing a short sword at Megumi's throat. Her heart began to pound heavily, wondering if Hazuki would slit her throat. Apart of her hoped for it.

"So Contractors do feel," she challenged.

"We do, but it's irrational to react on it."

"Then why did you?"

Hazuki held her tongue since she didn't have a response and put her blade away so she could continue on. Megumi decided to keep her mouth shut.

Unexpectedly, a huge dark vehicle smashed into their car on the driver side, as they began to cross an intersection. Megumi was thrown up against the door while Hazuki flew towards Megumi, but was held back from the seat belt. The side windows and windshields shattered with a majority of it pouring in to cut their skin. The car skidded a few yards before coming to rest, as debris littered the street.

"Ahh… this is… getting old…" Megumi cringed, referring to the multiple car crashes she had had in the past forty-eight hours.

Gathering her bearings, she looked over at Hazuki, noticing she was knocked out. Megumi glared at the car that had hit them. It was big and bulky, like a pick-up truck people had used to drive, and had a metal grill mounted on the front to take a majority of the damage.

The left side door opened, revealing a Caucasian man exiting it while holding a gun. With quick reflex, Megumi pulled out her gun and fired two shots into his chest. As the guy fell back dead, the right side door opened to have a black man exiting it, highlighting in blue and ripping the cross beam of the car apart to throw it at Megumi. She moved her head out of the way before it pierced it, and fired two more rounds into the Contractor, killing him.

After his body hit the ground, a star fell. Megumi opened her door, creaking from the damage, and pulled Hazuki from it. Cars had stopped, courtesy of the TCS, allowing the riders to exit and run from the ruckus with the pedestrians. Once Megumi dragged Hazuki through the debris and to the sidewalk, she checked for a pulse, found one, and started breathing easier.

Moments later, swarms of police cars approached. Megumi frowned, knowing she was wanted, and didn't know what to do. The only logical thing that came to her was hide behind a car, and did so while dragging Hazuki towards it.

As the last police car came to a stop, the officers exited and aimed their guns towards Megumi. To her luck, and not surprise, Suzuki Hachi was with them.

He took cover, and yelled, "Give up now, Megumi, or we will end your life here! You know you can't win!"

He was right. The odds were against her tremendously. Although, she was sure he would put a bullet between her eyes as soon as she surrendered. There were no choices for her. Perhaps she could mess with him and have the officers second-guess his command, allowing her to escape.

"How much is Chaplin paying you and Commander Himura Kamui to off me!" she asked.

The officers looked at Hachi peculiarly, making him feel uncomfortable, and said, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"Don't play games, Hachi. Ever since I was picked for the Foreign Affairs and not you, it drove you crazy. I know you. I know you'd do whatever it took to get my spot."

Hachi huffed a smirk, and said, "Your spot? I got something better!"

"Oh, yeah, captain of a bunch of low life officers and detectives! Nice work, Hachi. Go ahead and pat yourself on the back for that one!"

With anger building inside of him, he looked over at his officers and yelled, "Open fire at her!"

"Sir?" questioned one of the officers.

"She's resisting arrest!"

"She hasn't done anything but mock you, sir. There's no reason for us to fire."

"I say there is, now fire!"

"Sir!"

Due to the distraction, Megumi began to slip away, feeling sorry for leaving Hazuki behind. Before she got ten yards down the street, Hachi noticed her fleeing.

"She's getting away!" he shouted. "That's enough probable cause right there!"

On queue, the police force opened fire, forcing Megumi to retake cover. The last thing she wanted to do was kill the officers, putting her in a bind. As she was about to draw her gun, Hazuki stepped in and began knocking out the officers with a broken crossbar.

"Go! I'll hold them off!" she yelled at Megumi.

"What? No!"

"Stupid girl!" Hazuki shouted while avoiding fire. "You asked me if I loved your mom! Yes, and I'm doing what it takes to save her daughter instead of saving my own life!" Megumi looked on stupefied. "Go!"

Not wasting another minute, Megumi ran off. Hazuki dodged a bullet, used her zip line to escape another, and pushed off a building to miss a third before knocking out two other officers. However, due to her injures, a bullet struck her in the left portion of her chest. She was able to dodge a second shot to take out one more officer before being hit by another bullet in her stomach.

Hazuki fell on her back in the middle of the street. Hachi walked up to her, frowning, and fired a shot in her forehead.

Xxx

While Megumi escaped through an alley, she saw a star fall from the sky, and feared the worst. She was about to head back, but someone grabbed her wrist, and looked towards the culprit to see Hizumi in disguise.

"You can't do anything for her now," he said. "She's gone."

"Don't tell me what to do!" she barked, snapping her wrist from him. "What gives you the right anyways."

"I'm trying to protect you!"

"I don't need it, and I can protect myself. And heck of a job you're doing since BK201 was going to kill me back at the Foreign Affairs."

"I'm not him."

"Could have fooled me with your outfit!"

There was some ruckus behind them, as Hachi yelled, "She went this way!"

Before Megumi could respond by pulling out her gun, wanting to kill Hachi more than anything else, Hizumi wrapped his right arm around her waist, threw out his wire to loop it around a pole, and flew upwards. He disconnected and hooked it on another pole to swing towards b Akasaka hotel.

Seconds later, Megumi shouted, "Let go of me!" and elbowed Hizumi.

He dropped onto a nearby roof, disconnected his wire, and pulled off his mask to look at Megumi.

"I'm not here to hurt you, Megumi," he said. "Believe me."

Megumi looked into his eyes, knowing it was true, but she didn't want it, and slapped him.

"Stay away from me, Kuro no Shinigami," she demanded.

Hizumi stared at her, hurt from her outburst. He placed on his mask, saying nothing else, and flung out his wire to soar off. Once he was gone, Megumi headed for the roof entrance to continue towards b Akasaka Hotel.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Justice be Given to the Wicked

President Markus's escort and limo drove up to Tokyo's checkpoint and was waved on. Twenty minutes later, after making their way through traffic, the limo pulled up to Tokyo Tower.

The sloped parking lot had been blocked off, which allowed it to be filled up with news reporters, protesters, and supporters. Certain groups held Markus signs that said, _"Go Home! Fly back to the States! You look like an Ostrich! Uranus Stinks!" and "Commit Seppuku!" _

The escort pulled up between the podium and tower before coming to a halt. The Secret Service walked up to the President's limo and opened the door to allow Markus and his wife exit it. They ascended onto the podium while waving at the crowd. Mrs. Markus took her seat as her husband stepped before the microphone to give his speech.

"People of Japan, I know some of you do not approve of me being here," addressed the President.

"THAT'S RIGHT, ROKUDENASHI!" shouted someone.

"Now, now. No need for swearing! I'm sure if we come together, we can all live as one! Our two countries are unique in their own ways. With our intelligence combined, not only can we win the war, but start bringing peace back to the world!"

The audience clapped in response while others booed.

"Your country is the one that started it!" shouted someone else.

Markus chuckled and responded with, "I know many think that, but the truth is that other countries feared we would rule the world if we also had Heaven's Gate. But I assure you, that's not our goal."

"Why does it matter, Mr. President!" came another voice. "BK201 has returned, and the Gate is gone once more!"

"Ah, yes. The infamous BK201. I assure you, we are close at apprehending and bringing him to justice!"

In the crowd, Kouno stood in the mist with a mike in his ear. He tapped it, and said, "Now, that's a lie. BK201 is not your ordinary Contractor either. I should know after chasing him for four years."

"_Enough of the chit-chat__ Toriumi Kousuke!" _said Goro. _"Keep your eyes focused. Has Detective _Shoji Kiski _arrived yet?"_

"No. Just Izumi Sakura."

"_Do you think he's betrayed us?"_

"_If he did, he wouldn't have told me about your plan, sir," _said Sakura.

"_Perhaps he's trying to frame you."_

"_He wouldn't. He knows if he did, Megumi-san would hunt him down personally."_

"Sounds like Saitou was with Misaki," Kouno chuckled.

"_Kousuke! Do not say those names over this line! It might be monitored. You too Sakura with your colleague's name. We're already taking risks with yours and Shoji's names."_

"_Yes, sir," _replied Sakura.

"_Any word on her?"_

"No, sir," said Kouno. "By the sounds of it, she was on her own. She might be dead for all we know."

"_Just keep your fingers crossed."_

Xxx

Megumi snuck her way towards b Akasaka Hotel. Between the cop cars rampaging through the streets and the roadblocks, she had to slip into dozens of alleys. Most of them were body width. She was grateful she wasn't claustrophobic.

Since the President was at Tokyo Tower, the sidewalks and streets were mostly cleared, allowing her to approach the hotel without any prying eyes. Once she reached it, a familiar face appeared.

"What kept you?" Shoji asked.

"What…? What are you doing here?" yelled Megumi, as quietly as she could. "You're supposed to be helping Kouno and the others."

"I figured you needed the help more."

Megumi clinched her right fist, thinking of giving him strike three. However, she didn't need the attention now and settled her nerves.

"What's done is done," she said. "You at least ask Sakura for help?"

"Yep, sure did, Chief!"

Megumi's jaw line tightened. He was testing her patience again and knew he was getting away with it. This was no joking matter, but typical Shoji had to make it one. He had no idea how badly he was playing with his life right now.

Megumi and Shoji began to walk over to the elevator.

"Oh, Shengshun-san!" chimed the lady at the counter.

Startled, Megumi looked over at her, dumbfounded she remembered her face, and smiled.

"Yes?" she questioned, as Shoji gave her a peculiar stare.

"It seems in our logs you and your mother didn't stay with us last night, and you missed your spa appointment."

"Oh, yes, well, we ran into some things last night and had to crash somewhere else."

"Oh! Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Everything is great. I'm just going up to my room with him for a bit."

"I'm the something that had happened," added Shoji, having Megumi kick his shin, as she guided him to the elevator.

The employee watched puzzled with Megumi throwing on a fake smile and quickly stepping onto the elevator to ascend it.

Once the doors had closed, the employee said, "Remind me never to date a Chinese guy! No matter how smooth his collar bone is."

In the elevator heading for the fourth floor, Megumi kicked Shoji in the shin again, and yelled, "Why the heck did you say that?"

"Just playing… the part," whined Shoji, rubbing his shin. "I hope those weren't strike threes!"

"More like foul balls! Although, I know a better place for that!"

"Oh, no you don't!" Shoji covered his family jewels. You already made that my first strike."

Megumi shook her head at him.

The door chimed to inform they had reached the seventh floor. Megumi cursed, figuring the hotel staff had locked access to the top floor, perhaps because of hers and her mom's visit yesterday, and she and Shoji had to work their way up. No doubt they'd be running into some obstacles.

The door opened, and as on queue, Jackal was waiting for her. He swung his sword, having Shoji push her forward out of the way and getting cut on his back instead. They slammed on the floor with Shoji on top of her.

"Shoji!" screamed Megumi.

"Told you… you needed… my help," he muttered in pain.

"Idiot! I didn't want you coming because of this!"

"Enough of this crap!" shouted Jackal, standing over them. "It's time to end this!"

Pointing downwards, he raised his sword over his head, frightening Megumi, not because she was about to die, but Shoji was going to as well. Jackal began to bring forth his weapon, having Megumi close her eyes, as Shoji began to cringe.

In a split second, Jackal was jump-kicked across the face and sent into the wall. Megumi looked up to see a masked Hizumi standing before them.

"Get your partner to safety and then get to the roof, Megumi," he said.

Megumi began to push Shoji off her, forcing him to try and stand with her help. Once they were on their feet, Megumi kicked open a guest room door and helped Shoji in it. She lied him on his stomach on the bed, checked the bathroom for a first aid kit, finding one, and began patching up a two foot long cut that came across his spine.

"You're such an idiot, Shoji!" lectured Megumi.

"So you keep… telling me… ouch! See your… boyfriend… arrived…"

"Not my boyfriend. You should know that."

"You two did date… so he at least… ouch… is your ex."

"The person I had dated died. I don't know who he is."

"Liar."

Megumi looked at him, wondering if he thought she was lying about Hizumi, or about her feelings towards him. It didn't matter since she had other things to worry about. When she was done patching him up, Megumi grabbed Shoji's phone, dialed 119, and placed it to her ear.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Trying to save your life."

"There won't be any need for that," said a voice.

Somebody appeared before her, snatching up the phone and turning it off.

"You!" babbled Megumi. "You're…!"

"Sylar, HE905," he said. "Madam O figured your partner would get himself mixed in your problem and sent me to help him escape."

"I'm… not going… anywhere…" demanded Shoji, as he stood.

Before he could stand Megumi hit him in the head to knock him out, and said, "The heck you are." She glared at Sylar. "Anything happens to him, I'll come after you and kill you."

"It would be irrational to do so."

"If it means saving your own life, so I'm making sure you see things to the end."

Sylar nodded, threw Shoji over his shoulder, and disappeared with him. Megumi gave them a few seconds before she stepped out to see the two combatants staring at each other. Not wasting anymore time, Megumi headed for the roof.

Xxx

Having enough of the staring contest, Jackal charged while wielding his katana. Hizumi blocked a horizontal attack, followed by a second and third strike. Something seemed a miss with his opponent, and found himself being kicked from lightning speed reflexes. Apparently Jackal gained more than his youth back.

Hizumi snorted, settled in a fighting stance, and began defending a high, low and middle assault. As he parried a fourth one, he swung his knife, believing he would slit Jackal's throat or sever a vein, but Jackal sidestepped it and kicked Hizumi across the face, shattering the mask.

The pieces fell to the ground, as Hizumi performed a sweep kick to avoid an upward slash, only to have Jackal back flip it and gain some distance to stare at Hizumi.

"I see you've also regained your youth," smiled Jackal. "What did you do? Search down HP355 and force him to use his powers on you?"

"Sure!" lied Hizumi.

"Looks like I'm the strongest and the fastest between us both, BK201," Jackal chuckled.

"I haven't even gotten started yet," mumbled Hizumi.

Hizumi stood in his fighting stance, sending sparks into his blade, and charged. Jackal shifted his head to the left and right repeatedly, avoiding the knife, punches and kicks, and then ducked to jab Hizumi's side while following up with a roundhouse kick.

Hizumi stumbled backwards, astounded at how Jackal was picking him apart, and wiped at the blood seeping from his lips. Holding his katana to his side, Jackal rushed towards Hizumi, who had a split second to block a sideward slash, but couldn't stop a reverse slash at his back, in which he somersaulted forward and was nicked by the tip of the blade. He rolled to his feet while glaring back at Jackal, as blood tripped from his back.

"Give up, BK201," said Jackal. "You can't win." Hizumi flipped his blade in his hand and held it before his opponent. Jackal frowned, but then his head twitched, as something seemed to light up in his brain. "You look different somehow? I don't know what it is, besides your age, but it is interesting."

"Just means you're not very bright," replied Hizumi.

Jackal smiled devilishly, wielded his sword before him, and said, "I'm going to enjoy slicing you open from head to toe."

He launched with quick speed and performed a downward strike, having Hizumi block it with ease. However, Jackal kicked the wannabe Kuro no Shinigami, tossing him back and leaving him open for a final blow.

"DIE, BK201!" screamed Jackal.

He brought forth the blade, but someone else interfered and jump kicked him, sending him across the hall while dropping his katana and twirling a few times before hitting the floor. Irritated and peeved off more than Scrooge on Christmas, Jackal rose to see who had barged into his fight. His eyes bulged to see someone else dressed as the Black Reaper from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Jackal asked.

The latest reaper removed his mask to reveal a similar BK201 with graying hair and wrinkles, but colder ice-blue eyes. Jackal grinded his teeth, as he answered his own question.

"You! You're the real BK210!" he snorted. "No matter! I'll kill you and then this fake one!"

"What are you doing, old man?" shouted Hizumi, as he stood next to Hei. "I got this!"

"Go help the detective woman," said Hei. "I'll deal with him."

"The hell you are! I started this fight, I'm going to finish it."

Hei grabbed his son and pulled him to stare into his eyes, and said, "This is my fight! It has been for twenty-seven years! You have your mess to clean up with that Megumi woman." Hei pushed him away. "Now go!"

Hizumi snorted and ran off.

Jackal glared at Hei for deceiving him for so long. He was going to make him pay for his crime. Hei kicked the Katana towards his opponent, surprising him. Hei said nothing, as Jackal picked up his sword and stared at him peculiarly.

"Very irrational for you to do that," he taunted, which didn't faze Hei, but it did to Jackal.

He ran and swung his sword downward at Hei, who sidestepped to his left, then to his right, and followed up with a knee to the gut. Jackal coughed up spit and ended up getting roundhouse kicked to the face. He lost his grip on the sword before he hit and slid on the floor, but quickly regained his composure and spun somersaulted to his feet. Charging at Hei, he picked up his weapon and swung it upwards, having Hei jump back, and then use his knife to block a downwards slash and slide the katana down the slit, locking their weapons together.

Jackal kicked, but Hei was able to block it, having Jackal perform a roundhouse kick in which Hei released his hold and ducked. The two stared at each other; Jackal infuriated that made him scream.

"No! It can't be true! Not even in my youth! I can't beat you? Why? Do I have to resort to such dishonor as that? NNNOOOO!"

Jackal glared at Hei, his skin burning red, but vanquished it as he glowed blue and his eyes ignited. Hei looked on flabbergasted, especially when his muscles doubled in size.

"Surprised?" Jackal asked, still angry. Hei stayed silent for uncertainty. "You're probably wondering why I never did this before. To me, it's a disgrace to use such power! What honor is there in that? Funny a Contractor would say that too, right? But that's my price. To dwell on my honor ten fold!"

"Some honor," mocked Hei. "You had someone else help you kill me, and then you go and gain your youth back. Hazuki had more honor than you, and she never acted on it."

"Those weren't my choices! I had nothing to do with it! It was all Chaplin's idea! Not mine! It's been killing me for years. With your resurrection, I could gain back my honor, but now I'm in a deeper hole!"

"And yet you haven't melted. What a shame."

Having enough of Hei, Jackal charged at him with nonhuman speed and punched to send him flying into and out of a wall. He stormed in, picked up Hei and threw to have him bust through the window and fall. Jackal looked over to see his dirty work, but found Hei's boot in his face and landed in the guest room. Before Jackal hit the ground, he disappeared and came up behind Hei to send him forward into another wall.

"I will see you dead for good!" yelled Jackal.

"And I'll be haunting you everywhere you go," mumbled Hei, as he stood with blood pouring down his forehead, "because you didn't kill me honorably."

Anger burning throughout Jackal's body, he charged at Hei and plowed him through the wall and slammed him to the ground. Seeing that Hei was spent of energy, Jackal returned to his normal size, picked up his katana, and forced Hei into a kneeling stance.

"I will have some honor in this fight," said Jackal.

He raised his sword over his head, and as he began to try and decapitate his long rival, Hei glowed blue, having the blade melt like butter once it struck his skin. Jackal looked at it dumbfound before Hei grabbed his head and electrocuted him.

Jackal yelled out in pain while quivering, dumbfounded at what had happened. Unfortunately, he would never know, and fell back dead.

"I wish I had thought of that twenty-seven years ago," breathed out Hei.

Xxx

Megumi made it up a flight of stairs before having to take cover from fire above. Blindly aiming, she let off two rounds and retook cover. Unfortunately, her unknown assailant had a partner, and had to move as the wall beside her glowed hot red, bursting inwards with shrapnel spraying her.

Cursing she had to deal with a Contractor as well, Megumi emptied her clip, surprisingly hearing whining words that weren't approved for PG movies. With any luck, it had been the Contractor, but the praise was short lived, as the floor beneath her turned red. On instinct, Megumi jump rolled as the ground exploded.

She peered upwards to see the Contractor, who was an elegant woman with short red hair that hung long on the front right side, and emerald eyes, which would drop a grown man to his knees. She wore a black vest over a red shirt and had on black pants with matching red boots.

Megumi reloaded her gun and pointed it at the Contractor, but before she could fire, the wall behind her exploded, knocking her to the ground while being buried.

"It's all over, cop," said the woman.

However, before Megumi could see her mother in the after-life, there were two rounds of gunfire. The Contractor screamed in pain and then fell over the railing to her death below. Megumi pushed her body from the rubble and looked up to see a black man with crooked teeth smiling down at her before disappearing.

Curious about this man, and wondering why he wasn't wielding a gun, she ran up to the next floor to find out who her savior was. However, when she arrived, all she found was a corps and two empty rounds.

Knowing she didn't have time to solve the mystery, Megumi burst onto the roof. Helicopters were hovering overhead, searching for threats. Seeing a clutter of grayish-like hay near the edge of the building, she pulled out her gun, and as she was about to fire, the hay highlighted in blue, as the sniper hidden in it fired.

Megumi cursed.

At Tokyo Tower, The President was waving at the crowd when the shot rang off, and then he was struck in the side of the head to fall in front of his wife dead. The First Lady and the audience screamed and ran in a panic. The Secret Service surrounded the First Lady while wielding their weapons, and guided her off the stage as the remaining Secret Service picked up the President's body to put him in the back of the limo.

Once the President and his wife were secured, they took off.

In the ruckus, Kouno fought against it to reach for Sakura. Once he located her, he shouted into his mike, "Megumi failed! The President was shot and killed!"

"_You and Sakura get out before the Secret Service spots you!" _yelled Goro.

"Understood!" He smiled at Sakura. "Care to get a cold one together?"

Sakura blushed, and said, "Eh, sure."

On b Akasaka Hotel's roof, Megumi aimed her gun at MC762, and as he stood, she fired. However, he highlighted in blue and averted the bullet leftwards. She cursed again, realizing he can control others, and ducked for cover behind a concrete wall, as he released a round from his gun. Due to him curving bullets, she was lucky it hit beside her.

Knowing she wasn't going to be lucky the second time around, Megumi stood and ran while firing. As expected, all her shots resembled water coming out of a spray nozzle. The Contractor, dressed in gray camouflage, raised his gun and fired, puncturing her stomach. She fell and stumbled on the ground in the mist of cringing pain.

MC762 approached her so he could get a better look at his prey. Pressing hard on her wound, Megumi glanced up at him to see he was built like a brick, had a sharp face and grayish-blue eyes that felt calm and cool.

"You're the detective broad who was at that Mexican's apartment," he said with a deep voice that seemed to fit for Satan himself. "Very persistent, aren't you?" He pointed his rifle at her forehead. "Look where that got you."

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a sharp pain coursed through his heart and up his left arm. He grabbed at his heart while making a fist with his left hand and kneeling.

"Not now!" he muttered.

Megumi looked on puzzled, wondering what was going on, and pieced it together. He was performing his obeisance by having a heart attack. Not wasting another second, she aimed her gun at MC762's head and killed him.

Hizumi stormed on the roof at the moment MC762's body hit the ground while a star fell. Hizumi looked on lost for words at her heroism. Surprisingly, Megumi pointed the gun at him.

"Told you I didn't need your help," she said, and began to stand.

However, she felt light headed and passed out. Hizumi caught her in his arms and cradled her. He checked her pulse to feel it was weak, looked at her wound and knew she didn't have long.

Hizumi whipped out his wire to hook onto a pole and flew off towards the nearest hospital.

Xxx

Back at Section Three's headquarters, Kanami and Ootsuka surveyed the scenery with the Dolls they had gathered throughout the months. Gorou walked up to them displeased with how things turned out.

"Give me an update!" he ordered.

"We're following the President's limo," said Ootsuka. "Although, it doesn't look good."

She pulled up an image they had caught from a Doll. It showed the President getting struck in the head, disintegrating a majority of it. Gorou's top lip twitched to reveal he wasn't pleased.

"Keep me informed," he said, and walked off. Once he was out of sight, Gorou pulled out his phone and dialed a number. Within seconds, Madam Oreille's face appeared. "Everything is going to plan."

"_Any word on my _three_ favorite heroes?" _Madam Oreille asked.

"No. Do you think it was wise to keep it from them?"

"_If they knew, then they wouldn't have gone after MC762, flush out Jackal, and Kuro no Shinigami getting his revenge."_

"You put a lot of lives at risk."

"_They're lives were already at risk, Gorou-san. Ta-ta for now."_

She hung up, having Gorou's top lip twitch. He needed to see if his occupation had a retirement plan.

Xxx

In the President's limo, the First Lady lay on her husband's dead body crying. Her hands and clothes were douse in Markus's blood, along with the leather seat. The Secret Service men sat across from them, acting like mindless creatures.

"Oh, Markus," she whimpered. "Don't leave me! What am I to do without you? Markus!" She glared at the Secret Service men with beat red eyes. "How far are we from the hospital." They didn't speak. "ANSWER ME!"

"Teddy bear," the Secret Service men on her right said.

In an instant, her eyes became dull and sat back with her blood stained hands on her lap. The window separating the front and back rolled down.

"'Bout time you shut her up," said the driver. He tapped his right ear. "On our way back."

On the outskirts of the city, a white limo began to descend into the hidden passage under the city. Inside occupying the back was Madam Oreille sitting across from the real Mr. and Mrs. Markus. Behind her was a hologram showing the chaos in Tokyo.

"Thank you, Mr. Joust," she said to the driver. "Make sure to dispose of both Dolls."

"_Yes, Madam O."_

"What carnage, don't you think, Mr. President," smiled Madam Oreille.

Richard Markus devilishly glared at Madam Oreille.

"What is carnage is you discarding Dolls like abused manikins!" he said. "Even still, why should I consider you are telling the truth? You could have set all this up yourself to make me conclude that the Vice President and Minister Chaplin are striving to assassinate me."

"Now that you're dead, what is the next step for your government?" Madam Oreille inquired.

"The following procedure will be the Vice President being sworn in as President and then Tokyo's boarders will be fortified to box in the assassin."

"What if I say that the Vice President calls for Marshall law and makes Chaplin the primary leader of Japan?"

"That's absurd! Not only that, you'd need the Senate and Congress approval, and that would take months!"

Madam Oreille pulled out a remote and changed the hologram. On it stood Prime Minister at a podium in his office. It looked as though he was trying to show sorrow in his expression

"_Ladies and gentlemen," _began Chaplin, whimpering, or so it seemed._ "With great sadness, I am to report the President has been killed. Just moments ago, the Vice President has been sworn in, and with the support of the Senate and Congress, he has announced Marshall law for the United States and Japan."_

Markus stared at the screen dumbfounded, glared at Madam Oreille, and yelled, "Preposterous! You, Madam Oreille, have somehow meddled with the hologram!"

"I assure, Mr. President, I have not. However, it would seem that with friends in high places, and Contractors mind you, human beings could do anything."

"Contractors? Are you indicating that the Vice President used Contractors?"

"Yes, Mr. President. The one he used on Congress and the Senate was a mind-controlling Contractor. MK992. His obeisance is a real treat. He has to write fan-fictions. He's written over three hundred. My favorite is Game Show."

Markus's eyes slanted at the nonsense chatter.

"Why not just have me impeached?" he said.

"That would take longer and he wouldn't have anybody to blame," said Madam Oreille, "like the people of Japan, which a majority already hate you."

His eyes twitched, revealing that her words made sense.

"And why would you of all people want to save me?" he asked, disposing of his political degree.

"With you dead, then Chaplin takes over Japan completely," she smirked. "And that'll put a damper on my business."

"Business?" questioned Mrs. Markus. "Is that what my husband is to you? Business?"

"Isn't that how the world works? Isn't everything a business? Like rounding up Contractors, creating Dolls, sending people into war to die, and having politicians killed!"

The First Lady opened her mouth to speak, but Markus placed his left hand on her lap, indicating he was handling things.

"Surely you want to be compensated for your efforts. How much do you want?"

"Just full pardons."

"For yourself, I take it."

"I don't want any pardons. I'm talking about Itashi Megumi, Yutaka Kouno, Mayu Ootsuka, Kiski Shoji, Izumi Sakura, Ishizaki Kanami, and the deceased Kirihara Misaki. Oh and Chaplin's secretary. I always liked her."

President Markus chuckled.

"Is that all?" he asked. "Any money, land, etcetera?"

"No. Pardons will do."

"Consider it a done deal."

He held out his hand to shake hers in which she looked at it for second before saying, "I would like that in writing, if you would please, Mr. President."

Xxx

Chaplin stood before his cabinet members, pleased that they have full control of Japan. He was surprised things went as smooth as it had. The only casualty he had was MC762 and Jackal, but they were mere pawns in his scheme.

"Quite the party we're having," said Andrews. "Time to bring out the champagne and condoms!"

"It is a celebration to remember," smiled Chaplin. "The Vice President is already making changes in the United States. Life in this world is going to take a major turn."

"We still have one problem," said the Mikhail Gorbachev look-a-like.

"Madam O," finished Peppermint.

"We still don't know where she is and what she plans to do to counter-attack our treachery," said the middle-aged man.

Chaplin began to open his mouth.

"You don't have to worry about her," came the President's voice. The cabinet members turned to see he was present with his Secret Service. "It's me you have to worry about."

"Mr. President? You're alive!" Chaplin began to play off. "I thought you were dead?"

"Save your untrustworthy words to the press. What you, the Vice President and Congress has done was unlawful and Unconstitutional! You will pay for your crimes!"

Chaplin smiled devilishly, as he glared at Markus, and said, "How do we know you're not one of Madam O's puppets?"

"Because I've gone through all the legal screening to prove who I am! Men, seize them!"

As the Secret Service men approached Chaplin, he hit a switch on his desk that made the room turn dark. He hurried over to the back wall, hit a hidden switch to reveal a secret hallway and entered it while closing the door.

"Where'd he go?" questioned a Secret Service man.

"Dunno!" yelled another. "It's like he pulled a Houdini!"

In the hallway, Chaplin smirked at his quick thinking, but his gut was turning inside out since now he was going to be declared a traitor. The Government he had run under ten seconds ago was going to pursue him to the ends of the Earth.

Chaplin reached a private elevator that had enough room for two, entered it, and hit the descend button. He leaned back, crossing his arms, and breathed out heavily. It was a good thing he had planned two steps ahead if things went south.

Once he reached the ground floor, the doors opened, allowing him to exit into a minuscule garage, but stepped before Madam Oreille standing beside her white limo, making him freeze in fear.

"Thought you could escape, Minister?" she said, her arms crossed.

"How'd you know about my escape route?"

"Is that important?" Twitching from her comment, he pulled out a nine-millimeter gun he had concealed in the back of his pants and fired, but it was empty. "Oh, sorry to disappoint you, but I had your secretary remove the bullets last night."

"My… my secretary? You got her to betray me! How?"

"A better benefit plan."

Chaplin chuckled while lowering his weapon, knowing Oreille had lied, and said, "So what now? You kill me?"

"I don't intend to do anything. I just came by to say good luck."

He glared at her, saying, "There's a catch. You want something."

"I got everything I want from President Markus, and it's all thanks to you." She opened her limo door, sat in it, and rolled down the window to peer up at Chaplin. "Goodbye, Dickey."

She rolled up the window, and seconds later, the limo pulled away. Chaplin watched as it disappeared, feeling there was more to the plot. He ran over to a dark-greenish car, and entered to sit in it. He took in a deep breath, as he hit the on button, and let it out when it came to life.

He took off the TCS, frowning at the warning system, and began heading off. He drew close to the ramp that departed his building, but before he could reach it, a being in black wearing a white mask dropped on the hood.

Cringing in fright while stopping the car, and hoping Oreille didn't think of it, Chaplin reached into his glove compartment to grab a revolver and fired all six rounds through the windshield to have them bounce off his coat.

Scared for his life, Chaplin hurried out of his car and began heading for the nearest exit. Unfortunately, after running ten meters, his ankles were wrapped up and then yanked backwards to have him land face first on the pavement. He then was dragged back towards BK201 and lifted to his feet to glare into two dark slits.

"I knew there was a catch," said Chaplin. "Kill me, Kuro no Shinigami. You know you want to after killing you almost three decades ago."

Surprisingly, The Black Reaper loosened his wire and pushed him away.

"I'm not going to kill you," said Kuro no Shinigami. "You're not even worth my time."

Chaplin's eyes narrowed, wondering what was going on? Had his enemies forgave him, or perhaps they wanted to see how long he could live before the law caught up to him. None of it made sense.

Chaplin flinched from a sudden pain in his back that seemed to pierce through his chest. He glanced down at blood pouring from a wound caused by a split knife, and then looked behind him to see another Kuro no Shinigami.

"T… two… Kuro… Shinigamis?"

The second Shinigami yanked out his blade and threw him to the ground. The two masked men stood next to each other, towering over Chaplin, and removed their masks.

Chaplin's eyes widened, and realized they were father and son. The father, BK201, was the one who sought and received retribution with his death.

He chuckled, coughing up blood as well, and died.

Xxx

Megumi woke up to see she was hooked to a monitor and Shoji sleeping in a seat beside her. She blinked at him baffled, and muttered, "Sh…oji…?"

His eyes blinked open and then peered at her disbelievingly.

"Megumi-kun!"

"Where… am… I?"

"The hospital. You've been out for weeks!"

"What… happened…? Did…?"

"No, Chaplin's plans were foiled. In fact, Chaplin was killed after trying to escape. Many think it was by BK201 due to the stabbing he had died from, but it's unclear. Afterwards, his cabinet members have been disbanded, along with the Vice President, and a majority of the Senate and Congressmen. It's been hell since you've been out."

"Section Four?"

"Was shut down so a thorough investigation could be done, but it's been up and running for the past week, as well as the police department. Since I was injured, I'm still off for another week. And we all have been pardoned, somehow.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Hachi has been arrested. Along with Himura and Allen Michaels."

"How'd… I get… here…?"

"The fake Kuro no Shinigami. From what I was told, he busted in here and demanded you get help. Obviously he cares for you."

Megumi's jaw line tightened, making Shoji smile to hide a frown.

Xxx

Madame Oreille stood on a rooftop looking out at the city with the Gate in the distance and the sun setting behind her.

Her work at taking down Chaplin had succeeded. Although, she was a little anxious that things wouldn't go according to plan.

That was a thing of the past now and what had been taken care of was only the cherry on top of a cake.

The door behind her opened.

"I was wondering when you were going to show," she said, keeping her eyes forward. "Come to say goodbye?"

"I want my son to be released from your hold," he said.

"That's not part of our agreement." She spun to face him. Hei was dressed in his white shirt that was unbuttoned at the top, blue jeans, and black shoes. "He stays with me. In return, I let you retire and leave Kirsi along."

"I can't accept that."

Hei pulled out his blade and began approaching Madam Oreille. She smiled. Suddenly, gravity became heavy, dropping Hei to the ground. He cursed when a Middle Eastern man stepped from the shadows glowing blue. He wore bell-bottom tan pants, red silk shirt, and brown shoes. The Contractor took out a medicine bottle form his pocket, opened it, and downed the pills like candy.

"I thought you would try that," said Madam Oreille while squatting before him. "And I know your Achilles heal. You seem to do poorly with Contractors that control gravity: like the guy before the Tokyo Explosion, and then the striptease woman who was trying to steal Yin from you.

"You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, Kuro no Shigami, or I would have taken your head. Also, I like having my enemies look over their shoulders wondering when you'd show up." Madam Oreille began to walk off. "Sayonara, BK201!"

The Contractor smiled while he followed Madam Oreille, keeping Hei pinned as long as he could. Once they were gone, Hei stood and glared devilishly.

His fight with Madam Oreille was far from over.

Xxx

**Two Months Later:**

Megumi stepped onto the Foreign Affairs floor around ten in the morning. Shoji and Sakura noticed her, wondering why she was present since she had another two weeks. Ignoring their stares, she headed for the Commander's office and entered it. She closed the door and stepped before the latest Foreign Affairs Commander.

He was Japanese, average height for an Asian man, stubby hair and was plump. The Commander wore a well-pressed white button up shirt, black pants with matching dress shoes and belt.

"You must be Detective Itashi Megumi," he said with a high groggily voice. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"I'm here to turn in my resignation, Commander Hokkaido," she said, handing over a piece of paper. "I'm moving back to Yokohama and taking back my old job."

Hokkaido scanned through the paper, laid it on his desk, and raised his right eyebrow while glaring up at her.

"You're quitting Section Four? Why?"

"It's too much for me to handle anymore. Between dealing with Contractors, foreigners, and even Section Three, it's driving me insane. I want a less stressful job, and plus, Section Four was my mother's forte, not mine."

"But you seemed to excel at it?"

"Hardly, sir. If you look at my attendance here, it's worse than Detective Kiski's."

"You do know if you go back to Yokohama, you'll only go as high as your mother did when you can succeed beyond that."

"I'm well aware of that, and I accept that, sir."

"Is there anything I can say that will change your mind?"

"No, sir. My mind is made up. I leave tomorrow."

"So soon!" Hokkaido shook his head, dumbfounded. "Well ah, have a safe trip then, Detective."

"Thank you, sir," bowed Megumi, and exited the office.

As she approached the elevator to leave, Shoji stepped before her, somehow knowing she was leaving.

"Where do you think you're going!" he stated instead of asking.

"Stand aside, Shoji," demanded Megumi.

"You're leaving not because of the job. Your leaving Sakura and me because of him!"

Megumi's jaw line tightened, knowing he meant Hizumi and he was right. Amber's warning played in her mind about her future. The best way to avoid it was saying goodbye to Tokyo.

"You're stretching," she bluffed.

"Am I? I've seen how you react when you hear his name. You're just like your mother!"

Anger burned through her veins and went to slap him, but he caught it, and then kissed her. Megumi's eyes widened for a second, but then found her body giving into it. However, her senses kicked in and kneed him.

"Strike three," she muttered, as she stepped onto the elevator.

Painfully, Shoji looked towards her before the doors closed.

In Hokkaido's office, he picked up his phone, dialed a number while putting it on speakerphone and placed it to his ear.

"It's me," he said, as someone picked up on the other line. "She's leaving the Foreign Affairs." He paused. "No, I don't think she's planning on joining Madam O." Hokkaido was silent again. "Understood. I'll get someone on her from here to Yokohama, sir."

Xxx

Megumi walked towards her car to head home. Her thoughts dwelled on the kiss she had had with Shoji. He was an idiot for doing such a thing, but it was intoxicating. Without thinking, she stopped and touched her lip. His taste was still there, mingling with her feelings.

Shaking the thought away, Megumi continued heading for her car. However, after taking two steps, she saw a familiar face in the distance, wearing a white shirt, black pants and shoes, and had messy black hair.

"Hizumi," she muttered.

He turned and began to leave. Feeling her heart race, Megumi chased after him. He turned a corner in which she did as well. Down the block, he went to his left near a smoke shop, having her do the same.

Megumi had closed the distance, as he headed to his right. Once she reached it, Megumi began to head down the street, but stopped, noticing he was gone.

Breathing heavily, her heart started sinking in despair. It was being torn between two men and didn't know how to deal with the pain. She had no choice, in order to keep them safe from her curse, Megumi had to leave the city.

Author's Note: One more chapter to go!


	26. Chapter 26

A/N: The last chapter of this story. However, I am working on a sequel. I couldn't end Megumi's story like this, even though I never meant to get so attached to her.

I always wanted to give the sinking feeling of a figure working in the background, making the reader feel who is this person? Is it Hei, and how is he still young and alive? If it's not, who is he and how is it that he has Hei's powers?

I got the idea off a movie I really liked, but the writers never kept the newly found hero a secret. You watched him develop from a thief into an expert swordsman. I just wanted to give the readers the same feel I wanted to feel.

Megumi was just someone to fill in the gap. I never meant to give her a relationship with Hizumi, and I never intended to give her a good luck curse. It just all fell into place.

And thanks to Destinies Entwined, A.J. Sawyer, Tityuio, Aerysa, Dear4life and so many others for taking the time to read this (my other stories) and leaving reviews.

Please enjoy.

Chapter Twenty-Six:

A Past Life is Merely the Future

In the city of Yokohama during the warm late hours, Lieutenant Itashi Megumi, wearing her usual white shirt, unbuttoned at the top, kaki black pants and black shoes, chased after a suspect on foot through the streets, pushing citizens out of her way. She was after an Asian male for killing another Asian man in front of her.

She grabbed her phone and, as if it were a walky-talky, said into it, "Following suspect north on Yokohama Kamiasoa road. Wearing a Naruto outfit."

"_Copy that, Lieutenant,"_came a male voice. _"Wait? Did you say he's wearing a Naruto outfit? Which one?"_

"Shippuden!"

"_Always liked that one. Sending __Detective __Watanabe Katashi to help right now._

Megumi put away her phone and continued her pursuit, yelling, "PEOPLE, OUT OF THE WAY!"

Megumi followed the Naruto wannabe into an alley. To her prey's luck, it was a dead end.

"Give up!" she ordered, aiming her gun. "There's nowhere for you to run. Put your hands behind your head and drop to your knees."

The man did so. Megumi slowly approached him, as she pulled out her cuffs. Once the newly found Lieutenant reached him, she threw on the cuffs and stood him to his feet. Taking out her phone, she said into it, "Suspect apprehended."

"_That was quick!"_ exclaimed the male voice. _"What did you do? Go all Sakura on his butt?"_

"I'm more of a Naruto and Hinata fan. I do a real good impersonation of her too."

"_So Katashi tells me all the time," _the male voice chuckled._ "Radioing it in now."_

Megumi pushed her captive towards the street, having the cosplayer snort at her.

"Wear something less conspicuous when trying to escape the police," she informed.

"You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, woman!"

"Try me! And it is Lieutenant Itashi Megumi to you, scumbag!"

"More like was. And I wear this outfit to fulfill my obeisance."

"What?"

Without warning, and not enough time to react, the cosplayer highlighted in blue and disappeared with Megumi. Once they reappeared, they were on the ledge of a building, naked. With a quick elbow, Megumi was knocked backwards.

"Goodbye, Lieutenant Itashi Megumi," he smirked.

Megumi swung her arms, trying to regain her balance, but it did no good and fell over the ledge. Wanting to get away from Contractor mayhem, it somehow found its way back to her and it was going to be her undoing after all. However, with dumb luck, or her questionable intact curse, a scaffold was a couple of feet below. She reached out her arms and grabbed it, dangling over the street below. Megumi breathed out a sigh and began pulling herself to safety.

To her luck, inside the building was an old male janitor, wearing big glasses, staring at her. Megumi's eyes widened in shock, remembering she was only in her birthday suit, and tried covering her private regions. That did no good since the old man's nose began to bleed while cracking a smile.

"Dirty old man!" she yelled, hoping he heard or read her lips, and hit the ascend button.

A minute later, she was on the rooftop. In the distance, she could see Hell's Gate.

"Oh, snap!"

Xxx

Sakura was hard at work filling out a report that Shoji was too lazy to do himself. She hated having him in charge and wished Megumi was back. Even though she was late, at least she did her job. Perhaps Kouno would be better than him, even if she had to deal with his flirting. Although, Sakura had to admit, he looked attractive for his age.

"Get those reports done?" asked Shoji, leaning over her shoulder.

"No!" she howled. "If a certain someone would help me then maybe I'd be done!"

"Fukazawa is busy with his own work."

"I'm not talking about the newbie!" shouted Sakura, pointing at an Asian man dressed in a tan business suit with matching shoes. He had a plump face and dark hair parted down the side. "I'm talking about you!"

"HEY! Settle down, Sakura. We can work this out." Sakura sighed, believing he would help. "You can finish everything up tomorrow."

Irritated, she began punching his arm, and shouted, "Go! Get out of my sight!"

Frightened, Shoji did so, looking back displeased. She grabbed her tablet and threw it, having him duck with the device bursting against the back wall. Not wanting anything else thrown his way, Shoji left the department.

"Baka! Bakabakabakabaka!" Her phone rang, making her curse and hit the answer button. "Foreign Affairs! What do you want?" Sakura became puzzled due to the fact the phone had been put on speakerphone on the other line. "Hello?"

"_It's me, Sakura,"_ whispered a voice.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

"_Megumi! You don't recognize my voice?"_

"Eh, no. How would I?"

"_Because I could whenever I used the speakerphone."_

"I always use the hologram. The only time I don't is when you call. Why do you have me on speakerphone? Not to mention, the caller I.D. didn't recognize your number, and why are you whispering."

"_I don't want Shoji to hear me."_

"Oh, don't worry about him. I ran him off."

"Okay, good!" Megumi was about to update Sakura about her situation, but stopped. "Err, are you alone?"

"No."

"_Put me on speakerphone on your side."_

"Why?"

"_Just do it."_

Sakura rolled her eyes and did what her former chief had asked. She placed the receiver to her ear, feeling awkward for relying on caveman methods.

"Now, why are we talking on speakerphone?" Sakura let Megumi speak for a few seconds. "NAKED?" she shouted while standing up. Fukazawa and everybody else stared at her dumbfounded. "Wh… wh…? Wait… what…? IN TOKYO? HOW?" Sakura focused on every word Megumi spoke, as though straining to hear someone speak over loud noises. "CONTRACTOR?" Her eyes switched side to side, letting her old colleague continue. "All right, all right. I'll head home and get you a change of clothes." Megumi said something else. "Oh yeah, don't worry! Your secret is safe with me!"

Xxx

Two hours after Sakura had left to pick up Megumi, the two women entered the Foreign Affairs. Megumi wore a Steins; Gate shirt with Rintarou Okabe and Kurisu Makise standing back-to-back on it, kakis and brown dress shoes.

"You had nothing else?" questioned Megumi. "No business attire at all?"

"Sorry, but you caught me at a bad time," replied Sakura. "I'm wearing my last outfit. The rest are at the dry cleaners. I'm to pick them up after work."

"Looking good, Megumi," chimed Shoji, walking up to them.

"Not now, Shoji!" moaned Megumi. "There's a Contractor in this city I need to find."

"KB101, yes, I know. The lab called mentioning it." He smirked. "Rumor has it you showed up in town butt naked."

"I knew you were talking too loud!" shouted Megumi, turning to face Sakura. "So much for keeping my secret!"

"Sorry, sorry," cringed Sakura. "You just caught me off guard."

"Like that Contractor," chuckled Shoji.

Megumi glared back at Shoji, her jaw line tightened, and said, "You get anything else off him?"

"Oh, look at that. You've been in town for a couple of hours and you're acting large and in charge."

"Shoji!"

"Fukazawa, what did you find out?"

The short Asian man stood, approached them, and said, "Eh, KB101. Real name Hitachi Hydo. Power is to…"

"I know what his power and obeisance are," jumped in Megumi. "Anything on why he's here, what he was doing in Yokohama or if he works for any organization?"

"Eh, it's rumored he works for a non-contract agency. That's all I have."

"Any leads on his where-a-bouts?"

"Megumi, I'm in charge here," pointed out Shoji. He looked at Fukazawa and asked the same question.

"Eh, no."

"That's because Megumi hasn't been the one hunting him down yet," commented a male voice.

Megumi's eyes widened, knowing who the person was, and turned around to jump into his arms to kiss him.

"Katashi! What are you doing here?" she asked, staring into his handsome brown eyes.

Shoji frowned while averting his eyes from them.

"What? I can't come and help out my partner?" joked Katashi.

"More like make out," babbled Shoji.

Xxx

Hizumi lay in his rugged apartment, wearing his old man's disguise. Just like Hei to run off somewhere and leave him behind to deal with Madam Oreille. The thing that ate at him like a Paraná was that Megumi had left Tokyo. She was the only thing that was keeping him anchored, but now it felt he was floating out to sea.

There was nothing or anybody around to keep him company. Not even the Doll they had stolen months back.

A scratch at his window snapped him out of his boredom. He looked at it to see a black cat with a red collar glaring through the stained glass. Hizumi stood, walked over and slid it open.

"What is it, Ricardo?" he asked.

"Tsk! It's Mao, not Ricardo," he whined.

"That's not what O calls you."

"I wish Hei was still around. At least he was more civilized!"

"I doubt it. Why are you here?"

Mao smiled, "Madam Oreille has a job for the new Black Reaper."

Xxx

Under the night sky and cherry tree, wearing the Black Reaper outfit with a black tank top, Hizumi was digging a hole.

"Tsk! Why do I have to do this!" bellowed Hizumi.

"This brings back memories," reminisced Mao, smirking.

After five more digs, Hizumi hit something. He and Mao looked at it to see a wooden box, picked it up to open it and found a small key inside with numbers on it.

"This is what I had dug for?" questioned Hizumi. "A key? What's so special about it?"

"Dunno, but I know Madam Oreille wants it," said Mao, gesturing to hand it over.

Hizumi took it out, tossed it towards Mao, and before he could catch it, an Asian woman dressed in a black kimono with strands of hair splitting her eyes, snatched it and threw it beyond some tree lines. The woman then highlighted in blue and disappeared, leaving the outfit behind.

"Definitely brings back old memories," reminisced Mao, sitting down with his eyes narrowed. Without any warning, Hizumi picked up Mao and drew back his arm. "WOW, WAIT! WHAT ARE…? OI! I'M NOT A FLYING SQUIRREL…!"

Hizumi threw Mao in the direction of the key, having him meow out his little lungs.

The Contractor reappeared near the key on a sidewalk, reached down to grab it in the grass, but stopped as she heard Mao come soaring and plowing into her.

Mao rolled over a few times before catching his bearings, and said, "That wasn't part of my memory! At least not until _I_ was a squirrel." Mao looked back at the naked woman lying on the ground, and gasped. "You're a guy? What a waste! You had some nice ankles!"

The contractor stood, looked over at Mao, and mumbled, "I was cosplaying as Rukia from Bleach. Who are you?"

"That's my question, but I think it'll be answered."

The Contractor looked over his shoulder, noticing Hizumi soaring towards them, and glowed blue to vanish. Hizumi landed near Mao while gazing around the scene.

"You couldn't keep her occupied a little longer?" reprimanded Hizumi.

"She was a guy. And sorry, but I was a little pissed off at someone who decided to use me as an American football! Have to admit, that was a heck of a throw. You should try out for the San Francisco Forty-Niners."

"Don't like American football. Where's the key?"

Mao walked over to pick up the key with his mouth. In the distance, sirens could be heard, making the comrades look at each other.

"They must be here for the cross dresser Contractor," concluded Mao.

"Go, I'll hold them off," said Hizumi.

Mao hopped into a tree and began heading off with Hizumi running towards the cops. Once there, he flung up to a rooftop and then leaped onto a police car. It stopped, along with the two other cars. He back flipped off the hood and stood in the headlights, hoping to give his prey a haunting feeling.

The cop doors opened with officers exiting it and, to his luck, Itashi Megumi was with them. His heart skipped a beat, making him wonder why she was back in town? Had she changed her mind and returned? And what was she wearing?

"Give it up, Reaper! We have you surrounded!" she shouted, aiming her gun with her colleagues.

Unwilling to take on Megumi, Hizumi flung out his wire and soared off. Doing so, the whole squad, except Megumi, opened fire and had bullets bounce off his coat before he reached a rooftop to run off.

"After him!" shouted Shoji.

Everybody returned to his and her cars. However, Megumi stood still while gazing into the park.

"Megumi…! Get in!" shouted Katashi.

"Go without me. I want to check on something."

Katashi frowned and entered the police car to follow Hizumi. She knew it would be a lost cause. Even so, it seemed he was acting as bait, as though trying to give someone else time.

Carefully, she entered the small park and began scanning the area. Things seemed fine to where she was about to give up, but she noticed a cat roaming around in the trees with something in its mouth. At first she thought nothing of it, believing it was a mouse, but she realized it was a key. Why would that be?

She followed it for a bit, trying to keep out of its view while it hopped from tree to tree, and then hopped to the ground.

"Few. That was close," said the cat.

Megumi's eyes widened, as she remembered her mom talking about a Contractor who worked for Madam Oreille that could inhabit animals.

She raised her gun, fired a shot by its front right paw, scaring it, and shouted, "Freeze, police!" The cat turned around to gaze at her. "Drop the key and, err, put your… paws… up…?"

"You look like her," commented the cat, confusing Megumi more. "Your mother. You both have nice ankles."

Without warning, the cat highlighted in blue, and then it fell unconscious. Megumi slowly approached it, tapped the cat with her feet, and looked on baffled.

"You should have checked your surroundings a little more," the voice said behind her. Megumi turned around and saw a crow flying off. "Later, Detective Itashi!"

Megumi snorted while lowering her gun, and shouted, "It's Lieutenant!"

She picked up the key that had been left behind to gaze at it, noticing three numbers.

201.

Xxx

Dressed in her usual outfit, Megumi sat at her former desk the next day, staring at the key confused. What did the numbers mean? Did it go to a safe deposit box, a locker, or something else? Usually in this day of age, people used his or her fingerprints to unlock things. More to the point, why the numbers 201? Did it belong to BK201? Did it unlock an apartment he might be hiding at?

"Megumi, we need to talk," said Katashi, as he walked up to her.

"About?"

"Why you didn't fire at BK201?"

"Cause I knew it would do no good. And he wasn't the real BK201, but the fake, or should I say, the _new_ Kuro no Shinigami."

"How would you know?"

"He looked too young," she lied.

The truth was that Hizumi didn't attack them because she was there. No doubt it had surprised him, as she was surprised too.

"Looked too young?" questioned Katashi. "It was dark. Plus the lights were on him. There was no way to tell." Megumi's jaw line tightened. This was not the time or place to test her patience. "You find out anything about that key."

"No. Everything I tried comes up blank."

"Losing your touch, Megumi?" spoke up Shoji, as he walked up to them.

"At least I thought something was afoot!"

"Yeah, or you just wanted to find an excuse not to chase the Black Reaper and got lucky."

"What are you getting at, Shoji."

"You know."

Katashi looked between them, and said, "What…? What's going on here?"

"Wait, what? You never told him?"

"Tell me what?"

"The new Black Reaper is her ex-boyfriend, Hizumi!"

Megumi glared at Shoji, knowing he was jealous of Katashi and Hizumi. She wanted to start a new set of strikes on him.

"Is this true?" asked Katashi.

Megumi stood while slamming the key on the desk and entered the elevator to leave.

Xxx

"You lost it!" yelled Hizumi, glaring down at Mao in his apartment while still wearing his Reaper mask and outfit.

"Apparently you didn't give me enough cover," shot back Mao. "Because of it, I had to change animals and circle around for a while before I could return to my cat form. If I didn't, Madam Oreille would put me through hell for losing the mike in this collar. And speaking of your lame cover, it wouldn't have anything to do with your girlfriend, would it?"

"No, and she's not my girlfriend."

"Hei didn't train you well enough. You're a terrible liar."

"So what now?"

"We have to sneak into the Foreign Affairs. That's Madam Oreille's demands."

"We? You mean me. What's so special about that key?"

"Beats me."

"Anything about the Contractor?"

"No. At least Madam Oreille isn't saying anything about it. Err, should you be wearing that outfit and mask?"

"I don't have a change of clothes. I'm doing laundry."

"People in this district think an old man lives here. Not Kuro no Shinigami. You should change into the old man outfit like Madame O asked you while Hei is gone."

"I don't care. I'm tired of wearing that old getup. I can't breath in it, it smells of his stench and I can't pick up chicks! Besides, my face is covered."

"You can't pick up chicks in that outfit, either."

"Not my point. I'm already compared to him; my hair, eyes, and my collarbone. I want something of my own."

"How exactly is wearing that outfit, not him?"

"You're still missing my point. This doesn't smell like him."

"B.O?" smirked Mao, as he waved his paw in front of his nose. "You say you want to be known for you, but you are just like your father. You two never seem to bore me."

Outside Hizumi's apartment, he opened the window and threw Mao out it, having him meow out his lungs again.

Xxx

At the Foreign Affairs, Hizumi entered, wearing a white shirt, blue pants and black shoes, and walked up to the security checkpoint. A tall dark-skinned man dressed in a security outfit stood before a scanner. Next to him was his partner, who was a young Caucasian man, and a Japanese guard behind the counter to their left.

The dark-skinned man waved Hizumi through, not setting off the alarm.

"Business why you're here," said the dark-skinned man.

"I'm here to see Detective Itashi Megumi," he said. "Tell her its Hizumi."

The guard looked at him dumbfounded, but shrugged it off and dialed Section Four's number to have a young woman appear on it.

"_Hello, Sean," _she said. _"How can I help you?"_

"Hello, Sakura. There's a gentleman by the name of Hizumi here to see Detective Itashi."

"_Hi—Hizumi… you say?" _

"Ah, yes?"

"_Really…?"_

"Yes."

"_Black hair, blues eyes, smooth collarbone?"_

"Err, yes…?"

"_Oh my, oh my… eh, what do I do…? Err… err…? _

Hizumi presented his wrists, and said, "How about arresting me."

Xxx

Hizumi sat cuffed to the table in the interrogation room, staring at a one-way mirror. It had been over two hours after his arrest. He guessed they wanted to take their time and try to make him sweat.

Finally, the door to his left opened, having an Asian man, who wore a black coat, blue jeans and brown sketchers, enter. His black hair was done up a little messy and his eyes were black, but seemed colder than what they should be.

He sat across from Hizumi and glared at him while leaning back in his chair.

"I'm Section-Chief Kiski Shoji. I have to admit; I'm surprised, a wanted man like you just walked in here and surrendered. Why is that?"

"I want to speak with Detective Itashi Megumi."

Shoji's right eye twitched. "Sorry, that's not going to happen."

"Then I have nothing to say. You want me to talk, bring her in."

"What is it with you two? What do you see in each other?"

"Why would you care? Jealous?"

"Of a criminal?" Shoji laughed. "I think not."

"Liar." Hizumi smirked.

Shoji's top lip trembled in discuss. He was centimeters from slamming Hizumi's head into the table, but that wasn't him.

The door opened to have Megumi enter, and said, "Leave us, Shoji."

He turned around and began saying, "The heck…!"

"Do it!"

Shoji cursed while standing, walked over to her, glaring into her eyes, and muttered, "This is a mistake," before departing the room.

Megumi closed the door and sat before her ex.

"First off, it's Lieutenant. Second, what?" she stated, coldly.

"I need the key you took from Mao," said Hizumi, bluntly.

"Mao? He's the animal who swapped bodies in front of me yesterday, right? Didn't he work with my mom too?"

"Give me the key and let me go. I guarantee no one will get hurt. If you don't, I can't guarantee what will happen."

Megumi chuckled. "Not going to happen. Who is KB101? Does he work for you and Madam O, and where can I find him. Not to mention, where can I find Madam O?"

"I don't know."

"Don't know or can't tell me."

"I don't know. KB101 attacked Mao and me when we were digging up the key."

Megumi laughed. "You? The fearsome new Black Reaper, digging a hole? Come on. How trivial does that sound?"

"If I knew, I would tell you, Megumi. Believe me."

"Sorry, but I can't." She stood to leave. "Get comfy, Kuro no Shinigami, you'll be staying as a resident for a long time."

"Sorry, but no I won't."

He flung off the cuffs, grabbed Megumi around her neck, and took her gun while putting it up against her side. Shoji and another man entered while aiming their guns.

"Let her go," said the sharp face, muscular man.

"Get me the key and I will," ordered Hizumi.

"Can't do that!"

"Then she dies."

Hizumi began gesturing as though he was going to shoot.

"No, wait!" shouted Shoji. "We'll get you the key."

"No you don't, Shoji," ordered Megumi. "Just shoot him!"

"Just wait a minute."

"Shoji, no!"

Shoji departed, heading back to the main office and having Megumi curse at him. Within minutes, he returned with the key in hand.

"Here," said Shoji, as he was about to toss it.

"Stop! Slide it over to me." Shoji did so, having it stop before them. Hizumi directed Megumi downwards. "Pick it up." She did as told, ready to hand it over to him. "Hold onto it."

"Wait! You said you'd let her go!" yelled Shoji.

"I did, but I still need leverage," said Hizumi, as he stood with Megumi. "Move aside!"

The two men stood their grounds.

"Would either of you two just shoot!" shouted Megumi.

"Move, Shoji!" yelled the sharp face man.

"Katashi!"

The two men stepped aside, giving Hizumi room to move. Once cleared, he guided her over to the elevator, entered it, and road it downwards.

"Call the lobby and tell Sean to get ready for them!" yelled Shoji at Sakura.

She nodded and called the lobby.

Inside the elevator, Hizumi released Megumi and gestured for her to give him the key. She decided to throw it at his face, which he caught inches from it.

"I was never going to hurt you, Megumi."

"Bite me, Shinigami!"

"Hizumi."

"No, I won't ever call you that. As far as I know, Hizumi died in my arms."

Hizumi averted his eyes from hers.

In the lobby, the security guards stood at the ready. After what felt like an hour, the elevator reached the lobby and opened to reveal Megumi walking out alone with her gun in its holster.

"He escaped through the hatch above and headed to the roof with his wire," she said.

"How? He had nothing on him?" asked Sean.

"He must have snuck in early and set up his escape or had someone help him."

"I assure you, none of my guys helped."

"No. Someone like an ignorant cat who can squirm through vents helped him."

Up somewhere in the elevator shaft, Mao was making his escape as he sneezed.

"That came out of nowhere?" questioned Mao. "Must be dusty up here."

In the lobby, Sean looked at her baffled. Moments later, the other elevator reached the floor. Shoji and Katashi exited with their guns in hand, looking dumbfounded.

Megumi glared at them devilishly. "Shoot next time."

"And hit you?" questioned Katashi. "I don't think so."

"Let me worry about that," she said, believing her curse was still intact. If it weren't, at least she would die with dignity.

"Where is he?" Katashi sighed.

Megumi repeated what she had told Sean.

"Then let's head to the roof," said Shoji.

"No time. To the garage," replied Megumi.

"Do you know which way he went?"

"No, but I'm not about to let a criminal go scot free." They headed down to the ground floor, but to their luck, all the tires had been slashed. "Damn Reaper!"

Suddenly, she noticed a blue car to her right. Her eyes widened as she recognized it as her mother's Porsche, but it couldn't have been. The last time she had seen it, it had over dozens of bullet holes and was being towed towards a junkyard.

Megumi ran over, opened the driver side door and peered in it to see the key was in the ignition. Looking back at her partners, she yelled, "Get in!"

"You serious?" the two men asked.

"You even know how to drive a fossil-fueled car?" questioned Shoji. "Not to mention, it doesn't look like it has one of those auto shifters in it."

"Automatic. And no, it's a manual," replied Megumi, as she sat in the driver seat. The men began to enter, but began fighting on who got the front. "You guys are wasting time! Shoji, take the back!"

"But I'm…"

"Do it!"

Sighing, Shoji did so with Katashi taking shotgun. Remembering how her mother started the car, Megumi began to turn the key, but nothing happened.

"Now who's wasting time," babbled Shoji.

"Back seat driver," she said, like her father had to her mother.

"What does that mean?"

Ignoring his comment, she rethought on her memory, trying to recall what her mother had also done. Then it came to her. Her mother always pressed down on the third pedal and then started the car.

Megumi copied the action, and with luck, the engine roared to life, intimidating her. She was astounded at the feeling of the car rumbling underneath her, even though she had experienced it before, but never behind the wheel, and the engine idling was loud.

Without thinking, she released the third pedal, and tried to place the shifter into gear one, but ended up grinding it.

"Oh, stupid!" she said to herself.

She re-pressed the third pedal and repeated her action, sliding it into gear. Once she thought it was good, Megumi released the pedal, only to have it stall.

"That went well," muttered Shoji.

"Oh, shut up!" said Megumi, restarting the car.

This time, she slowly let up on the pedal while pressing the gas, and began taking off with a little jolt. The power was something else under her feet. She directed the car to the ramp and stopped the car, stalling it again.

"Damn it! Third pedal, third pedal!"

Firing up the Porsche again, they took off, feeling as though she was on a rocket from the g-force, Megumi merged into traffic, trying to put the shifter into the second slot, but grinding the gears again before slamming down on the third pedal.

"Look around the rooftop," said Megumi, shifting gears while trying to handle traffic.

The men did so, as they tried bracing from the jolting motion. After a minute looking, Katashi said, "I got nothing."

Megumi's phone rang, which had Katashi grab and answer it. Sakura's face appeared.

"_We got reports of a man swinging from rooftop to rooftop near the JR Line," _she informed.

"Thanks, Sakura," said Megumi, as she took a hard right while grinding more gears.

"_Which service car are you driving? It's kind of making me nauseous from here?"_

"We're not. I'm driving my mom's car."

Megumi made a left, not forgetting the third pedal this time.

"_Wait, what? Oh never mind. I'm going to be sick!"_

Sakura ended the link. Megumi zigzagged around cars, believing she was getting the hang of a manual, but then grinded another gear.

"I see him!" shouted Katashi. "Look to your left."

Megumi did, but then ended almost hitting a car, and swerved around it. Hizumi noticed them and swung to his right. Cursing, Megumi had to wait a few meters before she could follow. Once she was allowed to, she was almost t-boned by an oncoming car.

"This is getting crazy!" yelled Shoji.

Megumi located Hizumi, as did he and headed left, having her copy him. They continued their cat and mouse chase until Hizumi came up to the JR line and landed to run inside.

Stopping the Porsche while double parking, and stalling it from forgetting to press down on the third pedal, the officers exited the car and headed into the train station. The place was packed with commuters.

"Split up, we'll cover more ground," ordered Megumi.

The two agreed and headed off. Megumi made her way towards the platform, showing her badge to a guard standing at a gate, and entered it. It too was cluttered with people, making it feel like finding a needle in a ton of haystacks.

She continued looking, as a train pulled into the station and began letting passengers off. It made it worse, but to her luck, she spotted a man with black hair wearing a white shirt and blue pants. She removed her gun, pointed it at her suspect, and yelled, "Police, freeze!" Commuters looked around confused, and then began running on the train or somewhere where he or she thought they were safe.

The man in white and blue turned to show it wasn't Hizumi, but KB101. His eyes widened in shock, as did Megumi's, and as he was about to highlight blue, somebody hit him from behind. KB101 fell forward, revealing Hizumi. Megumi aimed her gun at him, but as the train's doors closed, he slipped through it.

She ran over to the door, but it was too late. They stared at each other, Hizumi smiling as Megumi glared at him before the train departed. She thought about chasing it but didn't want KB101 to escape.

Xxx

Later that day, Megumi was getting ready to head back to Yokohama. A helicopter was waiting for her and Katashi on the roof. Katashi entered and walked up to her.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Megumi.

"You sure you don't want to stay another night with me?" Sakura asked. "I had it all planned out. A movie, karaoke, and then Animes at my place."

"No, it's all right. I have to get back anyways."

"Alright, err, where's Shoji? I know he'll want to say goodbye. Wait right here."

"It's all right, Sakura. We must be going."

"But, Megumi?"

"I'll talk to you later, Sakura. Bye," Megumi waved.

Sakura nodded and watched the couple step into the elevator with the doors closing. Two seconds later, Shoji entered.

"Well, the cosplayer is all locked up in his cell," he said. "Cosplaying as L from Death Note. Woo! Ore?" He looked around baffled. "They already leave?"

Sakura looked at him startled, and then glared displeased. She knew he was hiding around the corner, waiting for them to leave. Irritated, she walked over and kicked him in the shins.

"Ouch!" he yelled. "What was that for?"

"You know! And that's strike one!"

Fukazawa had been peeking over his desk watching, but returned to his work, as Sakura approached hers.

"That was scary, scary!" he mumbled.

Xxx

Holding a briefcase, Madam Oreille stood on a rooftop looking at the Foreign Affairs Head Quarters, watching Megumi's ride head for Yokohama, as the sun began to set. Mao walked up to her with the key in his mouth. Bending down, she took it from him.

"Are you going to tell me what that's for?" Mao asked.

Smiling, she placed the key in a slot on the briefcase, and turned it. Madam Oreille opened the case and showed vacation pictures of her and Richardo.

"Wait? That's what Hizumi and I risked our lives for? Some pictures?"

"But these are our memories, Richardo!"

"Tsk! What was the point of hiding the key and having us retrieve it?"

"To have a little fun with Hizumi and Megumi."

Mao looked up at her baffled, and said, "You planned all this? From KB101 up to the key? You do know he almost killed her, right?"

"Oh, I knew she wouldn't die."

"How? Her curse? I thought it was over with." Madam Oreille smiled in response, indicating she knew something about it, but wouldn't reveal what it was."

"And the number 201? I take it has nothing to with anything?"

"It's the month and date we went out the first time. February, first."

"Tsk! Who was the guy KB101 killed?"

"An old colleague of mine I had no longer needed service from. Or rather, he didn't want my service anymore."

Mao cringed, and said, "I think, if I want to retire from your service, I need to have you sign a written document."

"What's to say he didn't?"

Madam Oreille walked past Mao, giving him chills down his spine.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-seven: Gen New Season 2

A/N: I had just posted the sequel to Generation New.


End file.
